clarion
u n i v e r s i t y

m a g a z i n e

Spring 2015

Biology alumnus Adam Zenone
has an indescribable summer.

The Power
of

courage

No Limit

for Skye

Volleyball
team
excels

Share Your Heritage withClarion

easiest

It’s the
major gift
you can make to us.

that’s not

And
the best part.

“We met at Clarion, we trained for our 36-year teaching careers at
Clarion, and we made many lifetime friends at Clarion. For those
reasons, we remembered Clarion University in our will. We owe
much to Clarion, and it’s our chance to give back.”
Make Clarion University part of your heritage by including
Clarion University Foundation, Inc., in your estate plans.
Remembering Clarion in your will builds our long-term financial strength, and it’s
the easiest major gift you can make. Why?
It’s Revocable
If your plans or circumstances change, you can easily revise the bequest.
Richard and Nancy (Coax) Malacarne
Both Clarion University Alumni Class of 1963

It’s Simple
You can set up your gift with a single paragraph in your will, or a simple one-page
amendment (a “codicil”).
It’s Flexible
You can leave us a specific asset, or a share in your estate’s net remainder. Your
bequest can support a specific program or whatever needs are most relevant when
your gift is received.

2

John Mumford ’73, ’76
Director of Planned Giving
814-393-1926
jmumford@cuf-inc.org
Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

To learn more about making Clarion University part of your heritage
by naming Clarion University Foundation, Inc., in your estate plans,
visit www.clarion.plannedgiving.org.

clarion

Sp ri n g 2 0 15
Volume 2
Number 1

departments
2

features
12

Extreme Learning
Biology alumnus Adam Zenone (’11) spent 16 days under the
sea alongside Jacques Cousteau’s grandson before emerging
and heading north for an Alaskan research adventure.

Letters

4 Clarion Digest
New faces join Clarion’s leadership team.
Plus: Programs earn US News and World Report
rankings • PASSHE approves new criminal justice
degree • Summer Musical Theatre returns • and
more
10 Alumni Gatherings

18

The Power of Courage
Always eager to help others, Eric Knotick and friend Bill
Marsh didn’t hesitate to help a young woman being assaulted
on Clarion’s Main Street. Both men were stabbed; Knotick’s
wound was fatal.

34 Sports Roundup
The women’s volleyball team sets itself apart, on
the court and in class. Plus: Volleyball player
Laura Subject is Academic All-America of the
Year • Champion scholar Emilee Gysegum •
Swimmers flip for cancer • and more
40 Alumni News & Class Notes

24

No Limit for this Skye
Skye Kordistos (’13) has Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of
autism, but the determined young woman found Clarion’s
online library science programs let her soar to success.




48 Courageous Endeavors
It’s not easy to juggle being a top athlete and a
top student.

12

30

We Only Have
Room for Love

Allies, a gay-straight alliance of
Clarion university and community
members, has helped countless
people, including student Kaitlyn
Ellinger, embrace their sexuality
and promote equality.

On the Cover
ADAM ZENONE (’11) RUBS ELBOWS WITH OCEAN LIFE AND
JACQUES COUSTEAU’S GRANDSON TO COMPLETE MISSION 31.

Clarion university
magazine

1

CLARION
UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

President: Dr. Karen Whitney
Executive editor: Tina Horner
Co-editors: Rich Herman (sports); David Love (’86,
‘87)
Design: Brenda Stahlman
Contributors: Chris Rossetti, Michelle Port, S.C. Nolan
(’14), Lauren Welsh, Samantha Beal, Sherris Moreira
Photographers: Rich Herman, David Love, George
Powers (’81), Carol Roth, Jason Strohm (’01, MFA
’05), Brett Whitling
Address comments and questions to:
Clarion University Magazine
Center for Advancement
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
840 Wood St., Clarion, PA 16214
Email: alumni@clarion.edu

Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
Board of Governors
Chair: Guido M. Pichini
Vice Chair: Ronald G. Henry
Vice Chair: David M. Maser
Sen. Richard Alloway II
Rep. Matthew E. Baker
Marie Conley
Jane M. Earll
Christopher H. Franklin
Todd Garrett
Chelsea E. Getsy
Rep. Michael K. Hanna
Jonathan B. Mack
Joseph F. McGinn
Pedro A. Rivera, secretary of education
Sen. Judy Schwank
Robert S. Taylor
Aaron A. Walton
Gov. Tom Wolf
Council of Trustees
Chair: James L. Kifer (’83)
Acting Vice Chair: Howard H. Shreckengost (’83)
Vice Chair: J.D. Dunbar (’77, M.S. ’79)
Secretary: Milissa Bauer (’84)
Dr. Syed R. Ali-Zaidi
Susanne A. Burns
The Honorable R. Lee James
The Honorable Donna Oberlander (’91)
Randy Seitz (’09)
Jeffrey J. Szumigale (’82)
Darren Young, student trustee

Visit Clarion University on the Web
at www.clarion.edu
Clarion University Magazine is published by the
Division for University Advancement for alumni,
families of current students and friends of Clarion
University. Alumni information is also located at
www.clarion.edu/alumni.
Clarion University of Pennsylvania is committed
to equal employment and equal educational
opportunities for all qualified individuals regardless
of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, affectional
or sexual orientation, age, disability or other
classifications that are protected under Title IX of
the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990, and other pertinent state and
federal laws and regulations. Direct equal opportunity
inquiries to: Assistant to the President of Social
Equity, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, 216 Carrier

Alumni Association Board of Directors
President: David Bailey (’65)
President-Elect: Deborah Eckelberger (’07)
Secretary: Jean Mills (’59, ’74)
Treasurer: Jonathan Catanzarita (’11)
Floyd Barger (’58)
Daniel Bartoli (’81)
Amanda Blackhurst (‘06)
Angela Brown (’80)
Jeffrey Douthett (’79)
Merrilyn Dunlap (’93)
Elisabeth Fulmer (’64, ’80, ’97)
Lee Grosch (’62)
Sandra Jarecki (’69)
Terri (Tiki) Kahle (’87)
Nancy Lendyak (’75)
Ronald Lucas (’82)
Ashley McCauley (’06)
David Reed (’09)
Adam Ruffner (’06)
Virginia Vasko (‘88)
Daniel Zangrilli (‘07)

Administration Building, Clarion, PA 16214-1232.
814-393-2109.

Ashton Simonette
Eagle Ambassadors president
Karen Whitney, ex-officio
President, Clarion University
Laura King (’09), ex-officio
Executive Director of Clarion University
Alumni Association

2

Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

editor’s note
Dear Clarion family,
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You gain
strength, courage and confidence by every
experience in which you really stop to look
fear in the face.”
We’ve all faced and conquered fears.
When I talk with students and alumni, they
seem to have boundless courage, and they
tell me that’s something they gained at
Clarion. Not once, however, has a student
related that her courage grew from merely
showing up in class and just getting by.
As great as Clarion is, there’s no genie in
a bottle that appears to grant wishes of
knowledge and success.
Each student is his own genie, granting
his own wishes. The most successful
Golden Eagles have worked hard to
earn their good grades. They’ve sought
organizations, activities and experiences
that enhance what they learn in class. They
put in public service hours after class and
spend summers performing internships
to help them get that edge over other
candidates in a very competitive job
market.
In the pages ahead you’ll read of
students and alumni, from scholar-athletes
who are both academic and athletic
champions to a marine biologist who
spent two weeks in the depths of the
Atlantic, learning from Jacques Cousteau’s
grandson.
While they graciously attribute their grit
to Clarion, we know that it is the Golden
Eagles themselves, past and present, who
make Clarion University great!
Tina Horner
Executive Editor

letter from the president

Dear friends,
With each passing day, I am convinced that in many, many ways, each of us is living and
enabling the Clarion promise of courage and confidence. In this issue of Clarion University
Magazine, you will read about incredible acts of courage. You will also read about how
attending Clarion inspired a confidence to achieve beyond one’s wildest expectations.
These Clarion moments must be treasured and shared with future generations of Golden
Eagles. I encourage you to not only read these stories, but also to tell and retell them to
friends and family. In the end, this is the greatest measure of the value of being and using
our higher learning in service to our families, our communities and our country.
I invite you to tag along with Adam Zenone on his undersea expedition with the grandson
of Jacques Cousteau. Remember Eric Knotick’s courage when he lost his life in 1986
as he came to the aid of another student who was being assaulted. Recognize the
courage it takes to replace ignorance with understanding as our very successful student
organization, Allies, has done for years, nurturing a more thoughtful and respectful
campus climate. Be in awe, as I am, of Skye Kordistos’ powerfully quiet resolve to enter
college and succeed, despite the odds that accompany Asperger’s Syndrome.
These are just some of our Clarion moments of courage and confidence!

Fly Eagles Fly!

Karen M. Whitney
President, Clarion University

Clarion university
magazine

3

faculty news I clarion digest

Former Heinz executive
joins Clarion as VP for
finance and administration
Clarion University welcomed
Leonard A. Cullo Jr. as vice president
for finance and administration Feb. 16,
following a nationwide search. He fills
the position held on an interim basis
since fall 2012 by Peter Fackler.
Cullo, an experienced financial
executive with a proven record of
accomplishments in capital market
transactions, risk management,
investment management and
mergers and acquisitions, comes to
Clarion after 23 years with H.J. Heinz
Company, Pittsburgh. Cullo began as

Gonzales will lead
Venango College

Roxanne M. Gonzales, Ed.D., will start
as executive dean of Clarion University’s
Venango College July 1. The position
has been held in the interim by Colleen
McAleer, Ph.D., since July 1, 2014, and for
12 years prior by Christopher Reber, Ph.D.
Before coming to Clarion, Gonzales
was CEO of ZIA Higher Ed Consulting.
As professor of adult education and
training at Regis University, Denver,
she established a new online Master of
Science degree in adult education and
training.

4

Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

an H.J. Heinz company attorney in 1991 and
retired as senior vice president-treasurer in
2013.
As vice president for finance and
administration, Cullo is a key advisor
to the president and other members of
the senior leadership team, providing
leadership, vision and strategic financial
planning in the development of initiatives
that will optimize resources in support
of the university’s mission and strategic
objectives. He also oversees management
of the university’s operating budget.
Cullo, who hoped to work in a higher
education setting after leaving the
corporate world, said he plans to support
the president in her mission, maintain
Clarion’s financial stability and continue
to keep the excellent Clarion education
affordable for students.
Cullo graduated magna cum laude from
Case Western Reserve University School of
Law in 1985 with a juris doctorate degree
after earning his bachelor’s degree in
accounting at University of Notre Dame in
1980.
He and his wife, Katie, have six children.

Gonzales has extensive academic
leadership experience in higher education.
She has led accreditation processes and
is experienced in determining market
trends for program development. She
has served on national committees
working to influence policy. As president
of the Association for Continuing Higher
Education, she was an invited panelist to
the National Press Club.
“I fully support open access and want
to expand upon Venango’s diverse
portfolio,” Gonzales said. She additionally
is committed to ensuring that Venango
College and Clarion University remain a
resource for regional economic growth.
Prior to July, Gonzales will join Clarion
part-time as special assistant to the provost.
Gonzales completed her Doctor of
Education degree in higher education
administration at University of
Massachusetts, Boston. She earned her
master’s degree from Creighton University
and her bachelor’s degree from University
of Maryland University College.
Gonzales and her husband, Sanford
“Sandy” Walker, have two adult sons and a
grandson.

Hendershot tapped to lead
Clarion University police
Jason Hendershot began as Clarion’s
new director of public safety in January.
He spent 15 years with Carnegie Mellon
University Police Department, where he
began as a security guard in 1999 and
had advanced by 2009 to sergeant.
As a student at West Virginia
University, Hendershot was planning
a different career path but started to
think that police work better suited him.
He graduated in 1995 with a bachelor’s
degree in sociology, with a focus in
criminal justice.
He became a certified emergency
medical technician in 1997 and
earned his Act 120 certificate in 2001.
He is in the master’s program in
leadership at Duquesne University,
with a concentration in professional
administration.
Hendershot first became acquainted
with Clarion’s public safety when he
worked alongside three of its officers
– including Sgt. Frank Remmick, who
served as acting chief of police prior to
Hendershot’s arrival – providing security
for the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh in
2009.
He plans to complete an evaluation of
the department, with the ultimate goal
of accreditation.
“The accreditation process assures
that the department is following best
practices. It will take them to the next
level,” Hendershot said. “It seems like the
officers are already doing the work they
need to do, so they should be recognized
for it.”
Hendershot and his wife have a dog,
Oscar. His hobbies include hunting and
activities related to improving his law
enforcement skills.

campus news I clarion digest
Safety and equity are
goals for new WGS Leader
Kathleen McIntyre, Ph.D., assistant
professor of social sciences since 2012, has
been promoted to director of the Women
and Gender Studies program.
“It’s my goal that the WGS center will
continue to serve as an important space
for forums on issues impacting students
and community members today,” she
said, “Including sexual assault on college
campuses, violence against women and
girls globally, gender barriers in higher
education and issues of pay equity.”
To educate about the issues, the WGS
program has brought in lecturers focusing

Clarion Named
Military Friendly

on the integrity and respect due to women.
A related student group, VDay Project,
co-sponsored a production of Eve Ensler’s
“A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and a
Prayer” in February to raise money for local
sexual assault prevention and domestic
violence agencies.
McIntyre earned her undergraduate
degree in history and Spanish at Vassar
College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. She completed
a master’s degree in Latin American
studies and a doctorate in Latin American
history at the University of New Mexico in
Albuquerque.
McIntyre is integrating the theme of sexual
assault awareness into her Introduction to

Service Learning class. She received a 2015
Community Fellows grant to have students
partner with PASSAGES and VDay Project
in organizing Clarion’s second “Walk a Mile
in her Shoes” event in April.

US News and World Report ranks
online MBA, MSN among the best

Clarion University has been
designated a 2015 Military
Friendly® School for the sixth
consecutive year.
“Clarion is
very proud of
this ranking
because we
stand by the
services we
offer to our
veterans,” said
Lynn Fleisher,
director of
Clarion’s online programs. “We are
committed to servicing our veterans
and to continual review and addition of
services in the future.”
The Military Friendly® Schools
designation, awarded by Victory
Media, goes to the top 15 percent of
colleges, universities and trade schools
in the country that are doing the most
to embrace military students and to
dedicate resources to ensure their
success in the classroom and after
graduation.
Criteria for consideration can be
found www.militaryfriendly.com, and a
complete list of schools can be found
through www.gijobs.com.

MBA
Clarion’s Master of Business
Administration program ranked 62nd
among 195 schools in U.S. News and
World Report’s 2015 Best Online MBA
category, placing it in the top third of
MBA programs nationwide and first
among PASSHE’s 14 schools.
“Being in the top third of all online
MBA programs is a game changer for
us,” said Dr. Phil Frese, dean of the
College of Business and Information
Sciences. “We are on the verge of
bringing forth two concentrations in
our MBA program, in finance as well as
healthcare management. In addition,
we are in the process of developing
master’s-level programs in accounting
and data analytics.”
In 2014, U.S. News and World Report
ranked Clarion’s MBA 38th in Best
Online Programs for Veterans, and
Geteducated.com ranked Clarion’s
online MBA as a Top 30 Best Buy.
www.clarion.edu/business

MSN
Clarion and Edinboro universities’
Master of Science in nursing program
ranked 21st of 96 top-tier programs
in the magazine’s 2015 Best Online
Graduate Nursing category, tying with the
University of Pittsburgh and representing
a significant rise into the top 25 programs
nationwide.
The MSN program is taught by Clarion
and Edinboro faculty and administered
through Clarion, Graduates have a
100 percent pass rate on family nurse
practitioner certifying exams and a high
placement rate in rural areas where
primary care practitioners are needed.
Clarion and Edinboro have offered the
MSN degree in a regional consortium
since 2001. Beginning in summer
2015, they will also offer a Doctor of
Nursing Practice. Applications are now
being accepted. The two universities
offer entry-level nursing programs
independently but collaborate to offer
the MSN and DPN degrees.
www.clarion.edu/nursing

The U.S. News rankings, based on statistical information about admissions selectivity, student engagement, faculty
credentials and training, peer reputation, and student services and technology, are available at www.usnews.com/online.

Clarion university
magazine

5

Campus news I clarion digest

Break-out role
PASSHE approves new
criminal justice degree

Clarion University will offer a bachelor’s
degree completion program in criminal
justice administration. PASSHE approved
the program Jan. 22 as part of its
continuing focus on the critical workforce
needs of Pennsylvania.
The new program provides individuals
holding a two-year degree the opportunity
to earn a Bachelor of Science in criminal
justice administration. The degree will
provide upward career mobility within the
various criminal justice occupational fields
such as corrections and law enforcement,
and court-related services such as

probation, parole and rehabilitation.
Students will study managerial theory,
applied research and analysis, budget and
finance, policy evaluation and analysis,
legal liability, conflict resolution and
professional ethics. The first cohort of 25 to
30 students will begin in fall 2015.
“We have so many former graduates
who have been waiting,” said Dr. Paul
Klenowski assistant professor and director
of criminal justice at Clarion since 2008.
“The bachelor’s degree completion answers
the demand of students in the associate
degree program.” The associate degree
program currently has 60 enrollees.
Previous attempts to begin a bachelor’s
program were stopped early in the process
because the proposed program didn’t offer
anything substantially different.

Athletics plan is a
Clarion University Intercollegiate
Athletics Task Force presented
to President Karen Whitney a
number of recommendations to
improve intercollegiate athletics.
As a result, Clarion is launching a
new intercollegiate athletics plan
which will increase opportunities
for women through the expansion
of women’s athletics and increased
funding for high profile programs.

immediate results
The women’s cross country/track and
field program will be enhanced to increase
the program by 59 new students over five
years. That enhancement includes the
hiring of a new head cross country coach
and the expansion and resurfacing of an
eight-lane track through a combination of
fundraising and capital funding.
All women students will be asked to
complete a survey to identify athletic
sports programs of interest to them.
Although the task force recommended
the addition of a lacrosse program, a final
decision will be made pending the results
of the survey.

6

Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

“In 2010 I sat down and created the
bachelor’s completion program. It’s
criminal justice administration – that’s the
key. I designed the program intentionally to
create the next generation of leaders in the
commonwealth,” Klenowski said.
Of the 18,000 corrections officers in
Pennsylvania, Klenowski said fewer than
one-third have bachelor’s degrees. The
people in leadership positions – wardens,
assistant wardens, case managers, etc.
– are largely baby boomers, who are
reaching retirement age. That leaves a
void in those areas, without a workforce
qualified to move into the positions. The
bachelor’s degree completion program will
help to fill that void.
www.clarion.edu/crim-justice

win for Clarion women

Personnel will be added to the program
including an equipment manager, an
athletic trainer and a new head coach for
the additional women’s athletics program.

Enhanced scholarship
funding
“Scholarships will play an integral part
in the advancement of athletics,” Whitney
said.
As a result, she has accepted the task
force’s recommendation to strategically
invest to increase our ability to compete,
through enhanced scholarship funding, in
four current athletics programs – women’s
volleyball, women’s swimming and diving,
men’s football and men’s wrestling.
“These are the programs that will impact
enrollment and our reputation the most,”
Whitney said. “We will also see an uptick
in student engagement, academic and
athletic competition, as well as community
and alumni support.”
At Clarion, participation in athletics has
a positive impact on graduation rates: The
graduation rate for athletes is 14 percent
higher than for the general student body.
Clarion’s percentage of scholar-athletes –

athletes who meet high academic criteria
– continues to rise. On top of that, Clarion’s
top-performing athletes consistently earn
accolades for excellence in academic
performance.
“The success of our students was
priority number one when we began our
work,” said Clarion Council of Trustees
member Milissa Bauer (’84), who
participated on the task force. “We focused
on how best to influence recruitment,
retention and graduation rates.”
Through the assistance of students
and the representation they had on the
task force, Clarion Students’ Association
increased by $114,000 its allocation to the
athletic department’s operating budget.
Of that amount, approximately $100,000
is for individual sports, with 72 percent
being distributed to the strategic programs
listed above and 28 percent going to the
remaining programs.
“Our students who are athletes are
a credit to the university and support
our strategic efforts for student
success,” Whitney said. “We are confident
we are on the right path with these
recommendations.”

Campus News I clarion digest
Summer Musical
Theatre Festival
returns
After a two-year hiatus, Clarion
University Department of Visual and
Performing Arts is bringing back the
Summer Musical Theatre Festival, with
presentations of “Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “The Wedding
Singer” slated for July and early August
at Clarion University and at Cook Forest’s
Sawmill Theatre.
Robert Levy, chair of the department,
said summer theatre, which began in
1961, was halted while the department
reorganized internally, developing a plan
to financially sustain the popular summer
productions. Its return represents a joint
effort among the visual and performing
arts department, the dean of the College of
Arts, Education and Sciences, the provost’s
office and president’s office.
“We worked to bring it back, because it
has educational worth as well as popular
appeal,” Levy said. “The Summer Musical
Theatre Festival approximates a summer
stock theatre company. Students are
engaged in rehearsing one production
while performing another, a situation that
actors and technicians are consistently
dealing with in the professional world.”
The Sawmill Theatre performances give
students the opportunity of a touring
experience, but it’s also a way of serving
two communities for whom the familyfriendly summer theatre has become a
favorite seasonal event.
“When we went on hiatus, there was
a general disappointment in both the
Clarion and Cook Forest communities,”
Levy said. “We learned how much the
community and the university value it,
and how it had been a tradition for local
families.”
“In a usual season we mix well
known popular musicals with ones
that may not be as well known,”
Levy said. “For this coming season
we have chosen ‘The Wedding
Singer,’ a newer Broadway musical
based on the Adam Sandler movie,
and another, special performance
celebrating the return of Summer
Musical Theatre.”

Students awarded at
Kennedy Center festival
Senior English major Caleigh Boniger,
senior technical theatre major Emily
Smallwood, and freshman technical theatre
major Thomas Feather earned distinction
at the Regional Kennedy Center American
College Theatre Festival in Cleveland.
Nineteen Clarion students attended the
47th annual event, marking the 20th year
that Clarion has participated.
Boniger, of Girard, received the
regional Theatrical Criticism award from
the Institute for Theatre Journalism and
Advocacy, qualifying her to attend the
national festival in April in Washington, D.C.
Smallwood, of Dallas, Pa., won a
scholarship to the Las Vegas Stagecraft
Institute, where she will spend a week this
summer taking technical theatre classes.
She also won the regional award for
Allied Design and Crafts and will attend
the United States Institute for Theatre
Technology, conference for professional
and student theatre technicians. Her honors
came from her work with puppet design for
Clarion’s “Story Theatre” production.
Feather, of Windber, won the Focal Press
award for his sound design for Clarion’s
“The Taming of the Shrew” production.
Several Clarion professors were involved
with this year’s Kennedy Center festival,
including: Marilouise Michel, Ph.D., theatre;
Robert Bullington, Ph.D., theatre; Drew
Leigh Williams, theatre instructor; and
Ralph Leary, Ph.D., English. Robert Levy,
Ph.D., theatre, also attended.

THIS

experience
Hannah Keck of Summerville is working
for Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
Commission as part of a 15-week internship
sponsored by Pennsylvania State System of
Higher Education.
Keck is a senior environmental
geoscience major and mathematics minor
at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. She
is one of 13 students participating in The
Harrisburg Internship Semester program,
which provides students the opportunity to
work in all areas of state government while
earning a full semester’s worth of credits.
THIS invites students from each of the
State System universities to participate.
She will attend several academic
seminars during her spring semester
internship and will complete an
individualized research project as part of
the program’s requirements.

Performances are at 8 p.m. the following dates:
Special Summer Theatre return performance
July 2-4, Marwick-Boyd Little Theatre, Clarion University
July 9-11 and 15-18, Verna Leith Sawmill Theatre, Cook Forest
The Wedding Singer
July 23-25, Marwick-Boyd Little Theatre
July 30-31, Aug. 1, 5-8, Verna Leith Sawmill Theatre
For Clarion tickets visit www.clarion.edu/tickets.
For Sawmill Theatre tickets visit www.sawmill.org.

Clarion university
magazine

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Campus news I clarion digest

98-100%
128

Clarion

acres tucked among rolling hills –
and packed with everything that
makes college complete.

by the

numbers

87%

Quality academics,
plus elbow room

of Clarion’s teaching candidates pass
competency exams each year.

175+

major, minors and concentrations.
Mix them to match your career
aspirations.

of Clarion students tackle at least
one internship.

High-scoring scholarships
Incoming freshman with a cumulative
3.25 GPA and a 1050 SAT (combined
math and verbal) or a 23 ACT score are
eligible for the $1,000 Clarion Academic
Scholarship.
Funded through private donations
from generous donors, combined with
university funds, the Clarion Academic
Scholarship is renewable for up to four
years (five years for some dual-certification
education programs) as long as:
• The student maintains a 3.0 GPA at
Clarion;
• The student continues progress
toward the degree on a full-time
basis (minimum accrual of 24 credits
per academic year, although 30 is
strongly recommended);
• The student’s family annually
completes the FAFSA.

8

Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

Additional renewable scholarships are
available for students enrolled in specific
majors or in a dual certification education
program.
• An additional $1,000 is available
to students who meet the Clarion
Academic Scholarship criteria and
who enroll in the following academic
programs at Clarion: accounting,
finance, international business,
marketing, bachelor’s-to-MBA,
biology, chemistry, mathematics,
geosciences, physics, computer
science, information systems,
management, rehabilitative sciences
and human resources management.
• An additional $1,000 is also available
to 50 students with a high school
GPA of 3.25 and an SAT score of
1100 (combined verbal and math)

or a 24 ACT score who enroll in
a dual certification education
program. Clarion has designed
more than 20 specific opportunities
for dual or multiple teacher
certifications, and continues to
explore other unique opportunities.
The awards will increase the amount
of scholarship money going to Clarion
students. Last year, $1.8 million in
scholarships were awarded to Clarion
students.
Although these scholarship programs
are designed for students graduating high
school this academic year, Clarion has
other scholarships available for transfer
and adult learner students. To learn more
about additional scholarship opportunities,
visit www.clarion.edu/tuition-and-financialaid/financial-aid/scholarships.

Campus news I clarion digest
Clarion earns spot on President’s
Higher Education Community Service
Honor Roll
Clarion University has been named to the 2014
President’s Higher Education Community
Service Honor Roll. The President’s Honor
Roll is the highest federal recognition an
institution of higher education can receive for
its community service work.
The 2014 honor roll reflects service
completed between July 1, 2013, and June
30, 2014. Clarion reported that 3,250
students were engaged in community
service, logging a total of 408,924 service
hours in the one-year time span.
In applying for the recognition, Kelly
Ryan, assistant director of Clarion’s Center
for Leadership and Involvement, cited
three project areas: Speech and Language
Pathology and Development, Stand for
Children and Reading for the Cure.
“Students in Clarion University’s speech
pathology program participate in a wide
variety of community service programs, in
and out of the classroom,” Ryan said. “In
addition, our students run an on-campus
clinic that, in the 2012-13 academic year,
served more than 400 clients of all races
and ages that were struggling with a wide
variety of communication disorders.”
Ryan noted the “Stand for Children”
advocacy project, a requirement for
education majors, challenges students to
look at the world through other lenses.
Service activities have included assisting
with story time at Clarion Free Library,
teaching pre-kindergarten students about
the importance of a healthy and active
lifestyle, and a spring carnival.
“There were 31 students … who worked
a total of 398 hours to impact the lives of
865 children who otherwise would not have
had these opportunities,” Ryan said.
Reading for the Cure is an annual event
held every October at the university. It is an
evening of informal readings of prose and
poetry by people from the university and
the community, as well as by alumni.
“The event promotes breast cancer
awareness and education,” Ryan said.

“A recent visit to the Komen office in
Pittsburgh ended with the staff pointing
out to me that our event is the longest
running breast cancer event after the
actual Race for the Cure.”
Ryan said Clarion’s strategic plan puts

Lydia Whisler (front left), Brana Hill
(front right) and Kelsey Snyder pack
care boxes for soldiers during Martin
Luther King Day of Service in January

forth that the university will expand
our engagement with society and align
knowledge and resources with community
partners’ needs.
“The university is very aware of its role
as a resource and provider of knowledge
and service to the community through
its students, staff and programs,” Ryan
said. “As a part of the reassessment of
what we stand for, the university adopted
civic engagement as one of its seven core
values.”

New sidewalk

enhances

Student Safety
A $300,000 project designed
to enhance the safety of Clarion
University students and community
members has been completed.
Administered by Clarion University
Foundation, Inc., the project added
a sidewalk from Reinhard Villages
student housing, connecting to
an existing sidewalk on Greenville
Avenue.
“After years of work on the part of
the Clarion University Foundation,
the university and the borough, I am
thrilled to see the sidewalk completed
for our students and the community,”
said Clarion President Karen M.
Whitney, Ph.D. “We care deeply about
everyone’s safety and know that this
sidewalk will be a big help.”
The project was first discussed
in 2004 when Reinhard Villages
was built, and two years later, the
university, Clarion Borough and
PennDOT collaborated on plans. It
was just last fall, however, that all of
the parties involved were on board
with the sidewalk. Construction
began in October.
“It is clearly a safety issue,”
said Michael Keefer, CEO of the
foundation. “We are pleased that
everyone has worked together to
create a safe pathway for students.”
“There needed to be a safe way
for students to get from Reinhard
Villages to the university when
the buses aren’t running,” said
Marissa Kealey, Student Senate
president. Students cited concerns
about walking on the berm of busy
Greenville Avenue to get to and from
class.
Clarion Student Senate pushed
extensively for the sidewalk, and
Darren Young, student representative
on the Council of Trustees, advocated
for the sidewalk on behalf of the
student population.

Clarion university
magazine

9

alumni 2014

Clockwise, from top left:

• Delta Zeta sorority, classes of 1970, 1971 and 1972 gathered
May 2 and 3 in the Pittsburgh area. They traveled from
Florida, Las Vegas, New York City, New Jersey and various
locations in Pennsylvania.
• A youngster tries out a career in broadcast during Alumni
Weekend 2014.
• Alumni in the Washington, D.C., area share Clarion memories
at a reunion.
• In celebration of 48 years of marriage, John R. (‘66) and
Dr. Carole (Gazibara ‘66, ‘82) Anderson traveled to
Antarctica.
• Alumni in the Philadelphia area take a look at Clarion’s new
brand during last autumn’s reunion.
• Dr. Robert Avery (’64) feels the beat at Alumni Weekend.
• Alumni and friends are welcomed to the 2014 Distinguished
Awards Banquet.
• NOMaD, featuring lead singer Luke Zacherl (’04), entertains
at Alumni Fest, part of Alumni Weekend.
• In the center, Keystone High School (Knox) varsity
cheerleaders, coached by Kami (Tharan ‘99) Coursen, won
the PIAA District 9 Cheer Competition and finished fourth in
state semifinals, 15th overall.

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11

From an undersea habitat to an icy
expedition, Adam Zenone had the
scholarly summer of his life.

Submerged
in learning
Chelsea Signorino
Senior
Communication Major
She’s confident her Clarion
experiences – from an
internship to leadership roles
to sports anchor on CU-TV –
will bring her goal into reach:
working in community relations
for a sports team.

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Clarion university
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13

Clarion University
graduates have done
some pretty amazing
things. Professional
athletes, TV news
anchors and CEOs
line the pages of the
alumni record, and
the list grows ever
longer. Still, it’s hard
to imagine that any
Clarion alumnus has
had quite the summer
that Adam Zenone (’11)
had in 2014.

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Z

enone, a biology
graduate with a
particular interest
in marine biology,
moved seamlessly from
Clarion to Miami in pursuit of
his master’s degree at Florida
International University.
There, he knew he would
have the opportunity to do
great things, but in his wildest
dreams he could not have
imagined joining a mission
with Jacques Cousteau’s
grandson, Fabien, or that he
would spend 16 consecutive
days in an underwater habitat.
Now, he’s done both, and can
only succinctly describe the
experience as, “indescribable.”
“When I look back on it,”
Zenone said, “it kind of feels
like a dream. The minute I
came to the surface, I looked
back down at the habitat and
wondered, ‘Did that really
happen to me?’”
After working “top-side” on
a prior mission and conducting
his own related experiment,
Zenone’s professors and the
team behind the underwater
expeditions took note and
asked Zenone to join an
upcoming project, “Mission 31.”
“I’m still trying to wrap my
head around it, really. In a
nutshell, I’m just blown away,”
Zenone said after learning he’d
be joining the Mission 31 crew.
“We’ll be underwater for over
two weeks. We won’t see the
sun; we won’t be coming up.”

Clarion university
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15

The water
bearer

“

Time flew.
We blew
through the
days like
nobody’s
business.

”

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Spring 2015
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The habitat Zenone and his crewmates
lived in, known as the Aquarius, is located
63 feet beneath the surface of the ocean in
the Florida Keys. The Aquarius sits near a
deep coral reef – the focus of Mission 31.
Once under water, the crew got to work
on their mission’s objective: studying the
relationships between predators and their
prey within a coral reef. Zenone explained
that there is far more to the predatorprey relationship than who eats whom.
Mission 31 was specifically interested in the
environmental effects the predator-prey
relationship had on this Florida Keys reef
region. By adding predatory grouper into
the environment, they were able to study
the changes in the seagrass environment –
a popular feeding ground for herbivorous
life in the coral reef.
Their mission was part of a larger effort
to determine the human impact on this and
other reef areas. In this case, the crew’s
findings could demonstrate the negative
effects of overfishing the grouper to the
coral reef environment.

One of Zenone’s major tasks involved
deploying, monitoring and maintaining the
SONAR acoustic equipment used on the
mission. Along with his crewmembers, he
spent between eight and nine hours in the
water each day, using diving equipment.
“Time flew,” Zenone said. “We blew
through the days like nobody’s business.”
With a third of his day spent in the water,
Zenone spent the rest of his time in the
Aquarius, preparing for other outings,
logging data, eating and sleeping. When he
had some extra time, he also kept a blog
(http://zen1for31.weebly.com/).
Since food tends to spoil quickly in the
underwater pressurized environment, many
of Zenone’s meals consisted of freezedried food. According to Zenone, the food
was usually pretty tasteless, so he and his
crewmates added dried peppers and hot
sauce to add some flavor.
“Occasionally we’d receive fresh food
deliveries from the surface,” Zenone said,
adding that the Mission 31 crew looked
forward to those meals immensely.

ur ageous
o
C

.

confident.

Partnering with Clarion to develop our new brand was Mind
Over Media, a Pittsburgh-based marketing and media company.
We sat down with Kristen Creighton, vice president for research
and brand strategy at Mind Over Media, to talk about the power
of branding in today’s competitive marketplace.

Golden
opportunity
Proving that success comes down
to both what you know and who you
know, Zenone – who worked closely with
professors from Alaska for Mission 31 –
was soon invited to join another research
project – this time near the Bering Sea.
Already having the summer of his life,
Zenone quickly accepted the offer.
“We left the Keys and two days later I
was in Alaska,” he said.
There, he and the research team worked
with robotic vessels as part of an effort to
map and monitor the bottom of a mining
area in Nome, Alaska. With this map and
future studies, scientists will have a better
understanding of the environmental impact
of the “Bering Sea gold rush,” the focus of
the Discovery Channel series “Bering Sea
Gold.”
Zenone explained that there are very few
regulations surrounding the mining of gold
in Alaskan waters. “Mapping these areas
will allow us to see what they look like
before and after the miners come,” he said.

clarion.

At mother’s
knee

Even in the
midst of his
whirlwind
adventures to
the farthest
regions of the
United States,
Zenone
gave a lot of
credit to his
alma mater.

It’s hard to believe someone with this
level of opportunity and attention could
be so humble, but Zenone is exactly that.
In fact, even in the midst of his whirlwind
adventures to the farthest regions of the
United States, Zenone gave a lot of credit
to his alma mater.
“Honestly, without the Clarion biology
department – and the fantastic caliber of
professors there – I wouldn’t be anywhere,
at least in terms of the level I’ve gotten to,”
he said. “Every step of the way I learned
directly from them. They were really good
at getting us out in the field, providing
hands-on experience, and teaching us how
to be professionals.”
After a pause, Zenone said, “I wouldn’t
have made it to grad school without them.”
What’s next for the talented young
Clarion alumnus? For now, it’s back to
the classroom as he prepares to finish his
degree in marine biology. After that? Well if
this summer is any indication, the world is
Zenone’s oyster.

Clarion university
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17

‘What is the
relevance
of my
?’

actions

The power of a
student’s courage

The upstairs lounge in the Gemmell Student Complex on Clarion campus
is dedicated to a young man who attended Clarion University in the 1980s.
A plaque discloses this information by stating, “To recognize a Clarion
University student (1983-86) who gave his life to help another student in
need.” Above this epitaph, the words “Eric Knotick Lounge” and the dates of
his life rest in a bronzed display.
“He just liked helping people,” said Diana Kunselman, psychology
department secretary. Kunselman knew Eric a short time, from March of
1986 until the day he died in November of that year. But, because she was
department secretary, and Eric was a student assistant, Kunselman got to
know him as well as most.
“I saw him pretty much every day,” she said. “It was not unusual to come in
and find him asleep at one of the tables in our student work area and lab
area. He’d be there late at night studying, and would end up falling asleep.”

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Clarion university
magazine

19

A

high-achieving
student with a good
sense of humor and an
amicable personality,
Eric was scheduled for
graduation in May of 1987.
With a bachelor’s degree in
psychology in hand and a
philosophy minor, he planned
on pursuing his master’s.
One night, that plan was
cut short.
Eric’s life ended Nov. 16,
1986, as he and fellow Clarion
student Bill Marsh (’88)
stepped in to rescue a young
woman being assaulted by
her former boyfriend.

20

Spring 2015
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Barbara Braunbeck (’89)and a few
girls who worked with her at the former
restaurant Caligio’s on Clarion’s Main Street
were going to a fellow waitress’ house one
night after work. According to Babette
Stahlman, who was driving the group there,
Braunbeck’s boyfriend, John Kapusnik, did
not want her to go.
“He was trying to pull her out of the car,”
Stahlman said. “Two guys were coming
down the street. They went to pull him off,
and we pulled away.”
The last thing Stahlman saw as she drove
off was Kapusnik reaching for something
inside his shoe.
Knotick and Marsh had been walking
down the street, saw the attack and
stepped in to help. After pulling Kapusnik
off Braunbeck, both boys received stab
wounds. While Marsh was stabbed in his

upper-left chest and suffered a punctured
lung, Knotick’s carotid artery was severed.
He bled to death.
The case was brought to court.
Reasoning that prosecution witnesses and
the Clarion County district attorney did not
provide sufficient evidence to prove that
Kapusnik was not too intoxicated to intend
murder and was not acting in self-defense,
the judge dropped charges of criminal
homicide and aggravated assault with a
weapon. Kapusnik was charged with simple
assault – for his fight with Braunbeck –
and sentenced to serve 60 days in jail. As
he had already served 29 days before his
sentence came through, Kapusnik resided
in jail for 31 days following the trial. This
decision left the community shocked.
“Knowing some of the facts later, I don’t
think they actually gave the D.A. a chance…

Knowing some
“
of the facts later,
I don’t think they
actually gave the
D.A. a chance…. It
never got to that
point: they threw it
out before.

”

—Babette Stahlman

KNOTICKISH
Eric was a young man who was
well-liked by both students and
faculty. In the program for his
memorial service was a list of
what it means to be “Knotickish.”
To hang signs for the psychology
conference on I-80 at 5 a.m.
To carry his high school orange bookbag
into his junior year of college.
To write the best papers in the psych lab
at 3 a.m.
To always wear a grin.

search for meaning in EVERYTHING.
To love his father’s high regard for life.
To be one of four men from CU who

To

It never got to that point (of having enough
evidence): they threw it out before,”
Stahlman said.
The court decision over Kapusnik’s
actions distressed both Clarion’s campus
and town community. By May of 1987,
community members disturbed by the
lack of attention given to Eric’s case chose
to raise their collective voice and formed
the Concerned Citizens for Clarion County
Justice. CCCCJ began examining the
political decisions made by local officials
and creating a general awareness of what
happened in Clarion’s judicial system.
Though The Butler Eagle reported on
Oct. 7, 1987, that State Supreme Court
Chief Justice Robert Nix Jr. ordered an
investigation of the case, the ruling held.
Eric’s family and friends tried for more
than two years to get the Kapusnik court
decision overturned, but eventually
decided they had exhausted every avenue
available to them.
“We felt there was nothing else we could
do but remember him with the fondest of
memories,” Eric’s mother, Carol, said.
In fact, many people recall Eric with fond
memories. Randall Potter, Ph.D., professor

marched for women’s lives.

To listen to Simon & Garfunkel, Pink Floyd
and Elton John, and buy a record for 50
cents.

film after hours in the psych lab.
To earn honors.
To lead his peers.
To singlehandedly make up practice tests

To

for Semon’s class.

To whip up a 24-page demographic study
with graphs in 24 hours and earn a B.
To rearrange the pictures in the psych lab
for art’s sake.
To be part of a family that welcomed
Clarion University students and faculty
into their home.
To

be a humble hero.
Clarion university
magazine

21

of psychology and current chair of the
department of psychology, shared some of
Eric’s vivacious campus involvements. One
of Potter’s most fixated memories of Eric
was his organization of a trip to the West
Virginian Hare Krishna temple.
“His interests were quite broad, and
that trip probably represents his style as
much as anything does,” said Potter, who
was also Eric’s academic advisor. “He was
interested in everything, and willing to try
new things and explore new experiences of
any sort.”
Potter also noted Eric’s “strong sense
of social justice,” a fact to which his life
attests. Eric marched for women’s lives,
leaving such an impression in his dedication
that the spring 1987 conference “In a
Different Voice,” hosted by the Status of
Women Subcommittee of the Affirmative
Action Committee and the College of
Continuing Education, was dedicated
to him. He was also a member of the
Consumer Buying Club, a food co-op he

became involved with through a Clarion
professor. According to Kunselman, he
worked far beyond what was required of
him as a student assistant. Potter said that
Eric “stood out among the majors of the
time.”
While at Clarion, Eric made the dean’s
list, served as president of the Psychology
Club and was a member of the Psi Chi
Honorary Society. He worked two years
as an assistant in the department of
psychology and was a student assistant,
receiving a departmental scholarship.
His work was duly appreciated by the
university, and he was posthumously
awarded his degree.
Aside from the degree and lounge,
other remnants of Eric remain on Clarion’s
campus – the Eric S. Knotick Service
Scholarship, for instance. This award was
established in memory of Eric’s service to
the university and the sacrifice he made.
After his death, a special honor called the
Eric S. Knotick Good Samaritan Award was

“I think at that
moment he was
meant to help
this girl…I don’t
think either one
could have lived
with themselves
if they hadn’t
come to her aid.”
—Carol Knotick

Diana Kunselman and Randy Potter play a game of office ball
that Eric Knotick made up, using a ruler as a bat and wadded
paper wrapped in tape as a ball. The original scoreboard is
shown with the tally from the most recent game. Students still
play when they need a mental break from their studies.

22

Spring 2015
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founded by Clarion University and Clarion
Borough Council to recognize him. Eric’s
parents, Carol and Raymond, and Bill Marsh
were the first recipients of this annual
award.
“I think at that moment he was meant
to help this girl…I don’t think either one
could have lived with themselves if they
hadn’t come to her aid,” Carol said. “We’ve
always felt maybe this was what he was
meant to do. You have to look at it that way
sometimes to get through it.”
Curt Knotick described his brother’s
philosophical, kind, quiet nature, as well as

his tendency toward justness. According
to Curt, Eric conducted his life with an
exuberance that led to his principles. He
did not hesitate to execute fairness and
seemed to harbor a confidence it what he
was about.
“Ultimately,” said Curt, “(Eric and Bill
were) just confident in their actions. (They
were) confident in human nature, but
also in the human being in general – not
thinking what the consequences are, but
just being courageous and confident in
your actions.”

Curt added that Bill and Eric’s sacrifice
to help another is something that should
be exemplified. Though “heroes” pop up in
the news, the majority of stories reveal a
grimmer reality.
“So often we see in the news today
stories and videos of people being attacked
and people just walking by,” Curt said. “I
think that society’s become disconnected
with human life, quite honestly, and I think
what’s lacking today is just valuing others…
That’s what (Eric) and Bill displayed that
evening.”

Eric wrote the following thoughts one week before he died:

“What actions have meaning? Were
we a product of evolution or divine
inspiration or is there a point of
overlap? What is my purpose or
ultimate goal? Within the confines of
contemporary thought, will we be able
to find a solution or will we create one?
Apart from discovering answers,
what should the questions be?
What is the relevance of my actions?”

Eric’s story is one that will surpass the
archetypical college student’s tale. His
obituary in The Oil City Derrick contained
a quote from Thomas Bond, president
of Clarion University at the time of Eric’s
death: “Eric’s actions are a courageous
example of a good Samaritan trying to help
someone in distress.”
Eric was courageous. He was
confident in his ability to assist a young
woman in danger, and he gave his life in the
process. But more than that, his sacrifice
led others to question the sincerity of their
justice system and their actions…and gave
them a confidence all their own.

Clarion university
magazine

23

Skye Kordistos (’13)
and her dog Toto

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Spring 2015
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No

limit

for this

Skye

W

hen Skye Kordistos (’13) entered
Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium to
get her bachelor’s degree from
Clarion University in May 2013,

she had tears in her eyes from excitement. She
remembers feeling a little strange because she had
never actually been to campus before. “I felt like
a fish out of water,” said the 23-year-old alumna
in reference to the pursuit and completion of her
degree via Clarion’s online library science program.
“But I figured I took the time to complete the four
years, I might as well go to the college and walk
across the stage.”

Clarion university
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25

Disability

support

Services
The office of Disability Support
Services is available to any
enrolled Clarion University student
having a documented disability.
The office of Disability Support
Services provides the student with
reasonable accommodations as
documented through evaluations.
Appropriate accommodations are
individually based upon identified
need. The coordinator meets with
these students each semester to
determine the effectiveness of the
accommodation and to evaluate the
need for any further services.
Disability-related curricular and
test accommodations may include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Extended time for exams
Reader for exams
Scribes for exams
Word processor for exams
Alternate test location
Objective exams, when possible
Essay exams, when possible
Oral exams, when possible
Extended time for in-class
assignments
Taped lectures
Taped textbooks
Note taking assistance
Sign language interpretation
Assistive technology
Liaison with agencies

Disability Support Services
A15 Carlson Library
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday through Friday
Phone: 814-393-2095
Text telephone
(TTY/TDD): 814-393-2095
Fax: 814-393-2368

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Spring 2015
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The tears in her eyes weren’t just for
receiving her diploma on campus, though.
The tears – of excitement and joy – were
also for completing the educational journey
through Clarion’s online degree program.
Diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a
form of highly-functioning autism that
complicates
socialization,
the Buffalo
Grove, Ill.,
resident, and
her family,
had been
concerned
about whether
she would be
able to complete the coursework away
from her support system in a traditional,
on-the-ground degree program.
“I wanted to go away to college to be
kind of independent, but then I realized it
was going to be a little harder on me to be
away from home,” Kordistos said.
She acknowledged that her diagnosis
makes it that much harder for her to adapt
to new places and change – “that was
one of the factors” – and the pressure to
put things into words and to socialize – “I
didn’t know how I would fit into the whole
campus environment.”

“When I found out about online
schooling, it changed my life and changed
my perspective on going to college. It
worked wonders for me,” Kordistos said.
Her degree interest – library science – was
offered at only a few different colleges,
Clarion University being one of them. She
has some
relatives in
Pennsylvania,
which was
another
reason she
had interest
in the school.
Kordistos
chose Clarion,
not only for its online degree availability,
but also because, “It was one of the
top schools in Pennsylvania. That was a
deciding factor,” she said. “They have a
really good library science program, and
their disability services would make sure I
had all the tools I needed. So in the end I
decided to go with Clarion and go online
and be all set.”
Because she had never taken online
classes before, the first semester proved
to be a challenge for her. “It was tough.
You have to figure out the time to do the
work,” Kordistos said. “My word of advice

Skye with her parents
and grandmother,
holding dog Toto

is don’t take a full course load the first
semester if you’re new to this. Just go at
your own pace.”
By the second semester, she had her
routine down.
“It was a lot easier because I was able to
manage my time a little better,” she said.
“I wasn’t as stressed as the first semester,
so it went a lot better. I took two less
classes than my course load was my first
semester.”
She credits Clarion for having everything
she needed to be a successful online
student – “All the teachers reached
out once I reached out” – and for
accommodating her disability. “There were
some instances I did need some extra

time because some of the material was
confusing to me. Disability services work
well to get what you need.”
A voracious reader, especially of young
adult novels, she especially enjoyed a class
about young adult fiction.
“We had to read all these books. Some
I had never even read before like (Robert
Cormier’s) ‘The Chocolate War’ and ‘The
Fault in our Stars’ by John Greene,” she
said. Her goal is to become a full-time
young adult librarian. “I wanted to stick
with what I was comfortable with. Going
to Clarion really had to do with their great
library program.”
In May 2013 Skye received her degree
in liberal studies with a concentration in

library science. “When I entered the stage,
I was smiling the whole, entire time. It was
unbelievable!”
After her positive experience earning her
bachelor’s degree at Clarion, she decided
to pursue Clarion’s online Master of Science
in Library Science degree. She began
classes in fall 2013.
“I’m doing it full time and hope to
complete it by next spring,” Kordistos said.
“Basically, I didn’t think I could do this the
first time, but when I got to the end, it was
easy. It’s truly the greatest thing I’ve come
across. I am so excited. I am ready to get
finished, to get out there and become a
librarian!”

Clarion university
magazine

27

Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Autistic
Disorder
(or Autism)

Asperger’s
Syndrome

Pervasive
Developmental
Disorder

High
Functioning
Autism

essential

Planning is
for Students with ASD
When Mary Pat McCarthy, Ph.D.,
CCC-SLP, associate professor of
communication sciences and disorders,
learned of Skye Kordistos, a student
who graduated from Clarion University’s
online degree program, she was moved.
“She not only fulfilled her wishes, but
her parents’ hopes and dreams for her.”
Kordistos didn’t let her diagnosis
of Asperger’s syndrome, an autism
spectrum disorder, stop her from getting
her degree. Because it worked better
with the parameters of her situation, she
chose the online degree program.
McCarthy describes ASD as
“a complex neurological and
developmental disorder that begins
early in life and affects how a person
acts and interacts with others,
communicates and learns. ASD affects
the structure and function of the brain
and nervous system.” Because it
affects development, ASD is called a
developmental disorder and can last
throughout a person’s life.” Asperger’s is
considered a “mild form of ASD.”
People with the disorder may have
problems with picking up on small
talk or nonverbal cues in conversation,
she said, adding that they may have
“difficulty generalizing from one
situation to another until they have
had enough experience to develop
an internal rule regarding that type of
situation. This inability to generalize can
be seen as inflexibility and can cause
problems in learning environments.”
Other challenges may include:

28

Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

• Communication and interaction with
other people
• Restricted interests and repetitive
behaviors
• Intellectual problems, including
problems with reasoning or memory
• Language problems, such as
problems learning to speak
“I would in no way imply that people
with this disorder should only attend
college online, but it is an option for
some,” McCarthy said. “People with (ASD)
have set patterns and routines. For Skye,
I believe it gave her a safety net to learn
according to the way she lives her life.”
A 25-year expert in her field, McCarthy
also had a family member with a similar
diagnosis, but he graduated from college
before he was diagnosed. “His repetitive
behavior would get him in trouble
because he didn’t have that diagnosis,”
she said. Asperger’s Syndrome didn’t have
an official name until 1994 and then, as of
2013, it was pulled back under the autism
spectrum disorder title. “There were
challenges because he was unable to read
social cues. But eventually, over time, he
developed coping skills and graduated.”
Depending on “where they are on
the spectrum,” college isn’t always an
option, “but that’s not to negate that
there wouldn’t be a career or vocation,”
she explained. “People with (ASD) have
set patterns and routines, and not having
to conform to someone else’s schedule
can be helpful for them to be successful.
“For those with an ASD diagnosis who do
believe college is the way to their career

It is important that
prospective students
pick a field that works for
them. Students with the
(ASD) diagnosis have a
propensity of looking at
the world in patterns and
routines, so a field that
aligns with that propensity
can be helpful, and
sometimes vital.
path, McCarthy has some suggestions,
whether completed online or traditionally
in the classroom.
“It depends on the individual needs
of the student receiving instruction,”
she said. “Some students learn better
in an environment where the amount of
external distractions can be eliminated, for
example.”
“Just as Skye picked the right major that
aligned with her interests and her learning
patterns,” McCarthy said, referring to
Kordistos’ choice of major in the library
sciences, “it is important that prospective
students pick a field that works for them.
Students with the (ASD) diagnosis have
a propensity of looking at the world in
patterns and routines, so a field that aligns
with that propensity can be helpful, and
sometimes vital.”
She also suggested pacing her course
load as Skye did, doing a little bit at a
time. “Carrying a full course load just
might be overwhelming, not that it can’t
be done,” McCarthy said.

As for taking classes online or
attending school in the classroom, “both
can be valid options. You have to pick a
way that aligns with your interests and
works around your social interaction, but
like any student, you have to pick the
right major that works for you.”
McCarthy stresses the importance of
students utilizing the disability services
of their school.
“Sometimes students don’t want to
declare their disability, maybe because
of past problems in high school or fear
of being singled out, but by not doing
so, for example, a professor does not
have to make accommodations for you
if you might need them,” McCarthy
said, referring to Kordistos’ request
of having more time to take a test as
an example. It also doesn’t hurt to
contact your state’s Office of Vocational
Rehabilitation, she added.
“When a student has a disability
that can be affected by the learning
environment or method of instruction,
they must declare their disability in
order to receive any accommodations

Success in college
can only be achieved
when students
recognize, plan and
secure opportunities to
overcome the obstacles
that the disability
presents.
to their instruction that would assist
in facilitating successful learning,”
McCarthy said.
The overall success of the student is a
combination of factors, she added.
“I cannot emphasize (enough) the
need for preplanning their program,
finding the best balance for the
individual between online and faceto-face, the right major, the right
accommodations, the necessity of the
office of disability support services and

Common
Characteristics
of People with

Asperger’s
Syndrome
(from Asperger/Autism Network
website, www.aane.org)

the office of Vocational Rehabilitative
Services when any student with a
disability is attempting to navigate
the transition from high school to
work,” McCarthy said.
“Sometimes college is the next
step, but success in college can only
be achieved when students recognize,
plan and secure opportunities to
overcome the obstacles that the
disability presents,” she said.
As for Kordistos and other students
diagnosed with ASD who successfully
pursue their chosen vocation,
whether via a college education or
other means, “Everybody wants their
child to grow up and be successful in
society regardless of their disability.
I’m a big proponent of that.”
Mary Pat McCarthy, Ph.D., CCCSLP, is an associate professor in
the department of communication
sciences and disorders, where she has
also served as a clinical supervisor
since 1994. She has presented
at regional, state and national
conferences on topics pertaining to
clinical pedagogy/supervision, and
clinical practice issues in a variety
of areas including adult and child
language and speech disorders.
She has published articles in the
American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association “SIG 11 Perspectives in
Administration and Supervision” and
served as a column coordinator from
2003-2011. She is a past vice president
of publications for the Pennsylvania
Speech-Language-Hearing
Association. She is a member of ASHA,
PSHA, and ASHA SIG 11 Administration
and Supervision, SIG 16 Schools,
SIG 14 Culturally Linguistic Diverse
Populations. She can be contacted at
mmccarthy@clarion.edu.

• Have normal to very high intelligence
and have good verbal skills.
• Challenges with the use and
understanding of language in a social
context.
• Trouble understanding what someone
else is thinking and feeling.
• Need to be taught social behavior
that is “picked up on” intuitively by
others.
• Difficulty understanding non-verbal
cues such as hand movements, facial
expressions, and tone of voice.
• Challenges with organization,
initiation, prioritizing, all called
executive functioning tasks.
• Focusing on small details rather than
the bigger picture
• Intense interest areas such as movies,
geography, history, math, physics,
cars, horses, dogs or reptiles. These
interest areas change every three
months to several years.
• Friendships usually formed through
mutual interest areas or activities.
• Most view the world in black and
white with difficulty compromising or
seeing the gray areas.
• Most describe themselves as feeling
different, like aliens in our world.
• Anxiety and/or depression are major
components for many people with
AS and may affect their ability to
function.
• Some have extreme and debilitating
hyper- or hypo-sensitivity to light,
noise, touch, taste or smell. The
environment can have a profound
impact on their ability to function.

Clarion university
magazine

29

Clarion Allies
No place for
Homophobia—Racism—Sexism­—Hate

We only have room for love
Allies members (from left) Kaitlyn Ellinger,
Morgan Woodin, Tom Sirianni, Jaime Bouder,
Jeremy Moore, Shelby Ehrin, Larry Weigner,
Geralyn McMullen, Kenny Anderson, Katie
Schulze, Chris Wilson, Brianne Webster and
Alison Lashinsky create a rainbow cloud
representing Allies’ universal acceptance.

Kaitlyn Ellinger was brand new to Clarion, learning about the campus at
freshman orientation, when she first heard of Allies. A senior graphic arts major
from DuBois, Ellinger said, “Right then and there, I wanted in on it.”
She immediately became involved and has been the organization’s publicity
officer and vice president, and she is Allies’ current president.

30

Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

“

A LL I E S

Clarion is a very
accepting place.
I wasn’t expecting
that.

“

Allies, founded unofficially in 1993 and
officially in 2000, is an organization of gay,
lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning
and straight students, faculty and Clarion
community members who have come
together to work for the preservation of the
human rights of all individuals, regardless
of sexual orientation and gender identity or
expression.
“We create a safe atmosphere,” she
said. “We’re not going to judge you by
your sexual orientation, race or any kind of
diversity that comes with being a human
being.”
Allies mission is to promote a supportive
environment, to promote equality and give
support to those who don’t know who they
are, or who know who they are and are
scared of what people are going to think,
Ellinger said.
“I wasn’t ‘out’ (as lesbian) at home. Only
close friends knew. I was in a relationship
and had to hide it for three years – I felt
like I was in a box and couldn’t get out,”
Ellinger said. “Coming (to Clarion) was
great. I could, at all times, be who I wanted
to be. Through Allies, I was finally able to
express myself and help other people find

l ove
i s
l ove
out who they are.”Having
come from a small town,
Ellinger wondered how
the environment at a
small town university
would compare.
“Clarion is a very
accepting place – I
wasn’t expecting that,”
she said.
Clarion is so accepting,
Drag queens (from left) Keeghan
in fact, that Ellinger
Gettit and Kimmi Moore join members
Jaime Bouder and Kaitlyn Ellinger for
has never encountered
Allies’ annual Drag Talent Show.
negativity on campus as
a member of Allies.
“People don’t come
helped with UAB’s roller skating night. This
in (to Allies) and discriminate. I’d consider
spring, Allies will host its fourth annual
it a pretty close-knit group,” she said.
Drag Talent Show as part of Allies Week in
Likewise, as far as treatment on campus in
April.
general, she hasn’t heard negative terms
“We want to get out there, have fun and
used toward the LGBT population, but that
make people feel comfortable,” she said.
doesn’t mean the campus doesn’t have
“Allies Week will have various activities
room for growth.
highlighting the underlying issues of the
“I still hear people calling inanimate
LGBT community. We want to get people
objects ‘gay,’” she said. She’d also like to
out there beside one another, and just have
break the stereotype of what a gay person
fun.”
looks like – only manly girls are lesbian,
Overall, Ellinger said she’s definitely
only feminine men are gay. “That’s not
pleased with the progress being made for
true.”
LGBT people nationwide.
To help spread the message of equality,
“Yeah definitely, especially with same sex
Allies members make themselves available
marriage laws. I’ve lost count, but I believe
for classroom panels. Upon request by a
somewhere in the high 30s (states allowing
professor or instructor, Allies students will
same-sex marriage),” she said. “I think
visit a classroom, answer questions, tell
that’s great. I remember coming to terms
personal stories and talk about the next
with myself thinking I’d never get married.
step toward equality.
Things are definitely improving, and I
Last fall Allies invited to campus Mission
couldn’t be more excited by that.”
Improvable, a comedy act, and members

Allies members (from left) Jamie Smith,
Shelby Ehrin, Morgan Bashline, Morgan
Woodin, Amber Opitz and Mara Teeple,
show the group’s banner.

Clarion university
magazine

31

Strategic Equity Diversity Plan

Plan’s Goal: Equal Access, Participation
Clarion University has released its
Strategic Equity Diversity Plan, part of the
university’s overall Strategic Directions.
The plan cites six goals, which Dr.
Jocelind Gant, assistant to the president for
social equity, describes as the nucleus of
the plan.

Clarion University will:
• Foster an institutional
climate and inter- and
intra-group relations
that are affirming of
inclusivity.
• Recruit and retain a
diverse student body
that supports its
mission of “inclusive
and student-centered
environments.”
• Recruit and retain a
diverse workforce that
supports its mission of
“inclusive and studentcentered environments.”
• Encourage research and
scholarship reflecting an
appreciation of cultural
and social differences.
• Encourage the
development of
curriculum and
pedagogy that support
trans-cultural and global
competency.
• Encourage diversity
within the university
leadership.
“We worked closely with President
Whitney on all of the six goals,” Gant said.
“The plan is grounded in the university’s
mission and core values.”
The university mission states, “Clarion
University of Pennsylvania provides

32

Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

transformative, lifelong learning
opportunities through innovative, nationally
recognized programs delivered in inclusive,
student-centered environments.”
“The goals are not just stated goals.
They are aligned with the expected
outcomes, which are very clearly
articulated in the plan,” Gant said.
The Strategic Equity Plan lays out, for
each of the goals: the objectives, key
action items, expected results, assessment,
the individual or office responsible for
the expected outcome, and a deadline
by which the results are expected.
Accountability is an important component
of the plan.
“The accountability is university
wide.” Gant said. “Past plans were not
as intentional. There was always the
view that it was solely the equity office’s
responsibility. Based on how this plan
is constructed, it’s not just one office’s
responsibility; it is a shared responsibility.”
For example, the plan was officially
launched at the annual Equity Banquet
and Awards Ceremony in November 2014.
Goal number four states that “Clarion
will encourage research and scholarship
reflecting an appreciation of cultural and
social differences.”
“As such, we (the Office of Social Equity
and the Student Senate) restructured the
equity awards to accommodate this goal,
which recognizes research on diversity and
inclusion,” Gant said. “That outcome was
accomplished by presenting the inaugural
presidential award for scholarship, service
or teaching that reflected or promoted
diversity. Dr. Greg Goodman was the first
recipient of that award.”
Gant said diversity is often thought
of solely in terms of as race and gender
– “That’s not how we practice diversity
here.” For Clarion, the characteristics
or dimensions of diversity are far more
inclusive, consisting of differences that are
both mutable (educational background,
marital status, geographic location etc.)

“Equity denotes what
the word, literally, says:
Every member of the
university community
is treated fairly
regardless of race,
ethnicity, gender,
gender identity or
sexual orientation.
It is synonymous
with fundamental
fairness,” Gant said.
and immutable (race, ethnicity, age, gender
identity, sexual orientation and physical
abilities etc.). The university’s mission
states that Clarion will have an “inclusive”
environment; to be inclusive, it’s anyone
who is “the other” or different from a
majority group.
“Equity denotes what the word, literally,
says: Every member of the university
community is treated fairly regardless of
race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or
sexual orientation. It is synonymous with
fundamental fairness,” Gant said.
In certain departments, it has been
observed, that the representation of
protected groups of either faculty or staff is
not comparable to the national availability.
“Historically, there’s been
underrepresentation of women in the
skilled trades and some academic
disciplines. We’ve observed that women
are underrepresented in some academic
faculty departments both numerically and
by rank (associate and full professor rank),”
Gant said. “There’s more work to be done
in those areas.”

From GLAAD.org

Say this… not that… why?
Gay

Homosexual

Because of the clinical history of the word
“homosexual,” it is aggressively used by anti-gay
extremists to suggest that gay people are somehow
diseased or psychologically/emotionally disordered.

Sexual
orientation

Sexual
preference

The term “sexual preference” is typically used to
suggest that being lesbian, gay or bisexual is a choice
and therefore can and should be “cured.”

Openly gay
or out

Admitted
homosexual

Dated term used to describe those who self-identify as
gay, lesbian or bisexual in their personal, public and/or
professional lives. The word “admitted” suggests that
being gay is somehow shameful or inherently secretive.

Relationship
or couple

Homosexual
relationship
or homosexual
couple

As a rule, try to avoid labeling an activity, emotion or
relationship gay, lesbian, or bisexual unless you would
call the same activity, emotion or relationship “straight”
if engaged in by someone of another orientation.

From AP Stylebook entry for “Transgender”
Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or
present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth. If that preference is not expressed, use the
pronoun consistent with the way the individuals live publicly.

Gant said in terms of ethnic minorities,
in some departments, there’s no ethnic
representation, period.
“There is clearly a need to do better
in those areas. Every year an affirmative
action plan analysis is conducted to
determine the underrepresentation of
protected groups such as women and
ethnic minorities. It’s done mainly to
compare the university’s representation
with the national availability of faculty in
respective disciplines. Federal regulations
have codified the guidelines for this
analysis, and they have been helpful to
universities in establishing goals such as
those contained in the Strategic Equity
Plan,” Gant said.
“Individuals of the LGBTQ community
have not been represented to the fullest
extent of the law, but progress is evidenced
with the evolving case law. These goals are
intended to be inclusive of all groups.”

“Our intent is not to hire
a certain number from
a certain group, but to
afford all members of the
university community
equal access and
participation.”
—Dr. Jocelind Gant
Gant emphasized that the equity and
diversity goals are not quotas – “Our
intent is not to hire a certain number from
a certain group, but to afford all members
of the university community equal access
and participation,” she said.
“There’s a deep-seeded perception
that African Americans or ethnic
minorities have received a job because
of their minority status rather than on

their merit,” Gant said. “We do not dilute
qualifications to hire a protected group
member – everyone (hired) has to meet
the qualifications. If you have three
individuals for a faculty position, and they
are comparably qualified based on the
advertised qualifications, we will determine
if there is underrepresentation in terms of
women, minorities, veterans, individual with
disabilities, etc. If we have a very qualified
candidate that brings the added value of
diversity, this office would, in turn, make a
compelling argument to the department
as to the reasons why we believe that the
specific individual with the added value
should be hired, not simply on the basis
of protected status, but because of the
candidate’s qualifications.”
To view the plan in its entirety, visit www.
clarion.edu/strategicdiversitygoals.

Clarion university
magazine

33

sports roundup
Clarion Welcomes

new Head coaches
CHRIS WEIBEL
Football
Chris Weibel (’98), former Golden Eagles
All-America quarterback and assistant coach
for 11 seasons at his alma mater, was named
head football coach Feb. 6 following a
nationwide search.
“I am excited to welcome Chris as our
new head football coach and believe he will
begin to build a program that restores our
winning heritage,” said President Karen M. Whitney, Ph.D. “I believe a
successful football program is a key ingredient in building our new era
of excellence in intercollegiate athletics.”
“I will dedicate myself to restoring the pride, passion and success of
Clarion football,” Weibel said. “I thank everyone for this opportunity,
especially the support I received from so many former teammates,
alumni and friends around the country.”
A native of East Brady and a 1993 grad of Kittanning High, Weibel
came to Clarion and played from 1993 to 1998 and had a recordsetting career. His top season came in 1996 when he led Clarion to
an 11-3 overall record, the PSAC-West title, NCAA D-II East Regional
crown and a berth in the NCAA Final Four. A 1996 All-American, he
ranked #2 in the nation in quarterback efficiency; he completed 208 of
356 passes for a record 2,880 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Weibel owns career records for passing yards (7,845), touchdowns
(65), attempts (1,065) and completions (586).
He graduated from Clarion in 1998 and played five years of
professional football in the AFL, AFL 2, IFL and NIFL before returning
in 2004 to begin his coaching career at Clarion.
1926-2014 CLARION FOOTBALL

CHERYL
PETERSON
SOFTBALL
Cheryl Peterson, a native of San
Diego and a 2003 graduate of Penn
State-Behrend, was named softball
coach Jan. 13, replacing Shintrika
Hudson. Peterson came to Clarion from Yale University
where she was an assistant coach for two seasons. She
also had coaching stints at York College and Penn StateBehrend. A four-year starter at Behrend, she played in 127
career games. She had a career batting average of .376
with 76 rbi’s, 78 runs and 36 doubles.

Keith Ferraro
Wrestling
Keith Ferraro was named
head wrestling coach Dec. 16
after serving since Sept. 25 as
interim head coach. Ferraro was
assistant coach for the Golden
Eagles for two full seasons (2013
and 2014) and was responsible
for two strong Golden Eagles
recruiting classes. His first, which
was for the 2013-14 season, was
ranked as the 9th best class in NCAA Division I by Amateur
Wrestling News.
A native of nearby Brookville and son of legendary coach
Lenny Ferraro, Keith is a 1999 grad of Brookville High and
a three-time district champion wrestler. He graduated from
Lock Haven in December 2003 and was an assistant coach
at Brookville from 2006 to 2012, when he came to Clarion.

COACHES and RECORDS
COACH YEAR RECORD PCT.
AL JACKS
CHARLES RUSLAVAGE
BOB MOORE
GENE SOBOLEWSKI
WALDO S. TIPPIN
ERNEST JOHNSON
BENTON KRIBBS
MALEN LUKE
A.R. Von Lehsten
JAY FOSTER
J.O. JONES
TOTAL

1963-81
1982
1948-49
1983-93
1935-47 &
1952-56
1957-62
1950-51
1994-05
1926
2006-2014
1927-34
1926-14

128-46-5
7-3-0
10-6-0
60-51-0
53-49-3

.7290
.7000
.6250
.5405
.5190

23-23-3
6-7-1
57-73-0
1-2-2
29-70-0
13-40-3
387–370–17

.5000
.4642
.4384
.4000
.2929
.2589
.5110

*Coaches Ranked by winning percentage

34

Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

ERIC LAUGHLIN
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Eric Laughlin, a former PIAA
and NCAA D-II cross country
and track star, was named
Clarion’s women’s cross
country coach Feb. 4. Laughlin
comes to Clarion from West
Liberty University where he
was the men’s and women’s
cross country head coach and
assistant track mentor. His
women’s team was third and
the men fourth in the MEC in
2014; both teams were third
in 2013. He had been at WLU
since January 2010.

sports roundup
Luncheon honors athletes
for

winning in the classroom
Carlson Cup – women’s soccer team. Front
row, from left: Stephanie Sikora, Brittany
Kowatch, Kelly Antonucci, Madison Myers.
Back row: associate athletic director
Wendy Snodgrass, Mariah Treiber, Alexa
Stubenrauch, Aubrey Monte, Aaliyah Odom,
Anna Chamberlin, Rhianon Fowler and Coach
Sean Esterhuizen.

Clarion University honored 164 studentathletes (46 percent) as scholar-athletes
Feb. 6 at the 25th Annual Bob Carlson
Scholar Athlete Luncheon.
To be named a scholar-athlete, studentathletes must: achieve a cumulative grade
point average of 3.2 or higher; have two
consecutive semesters of a 3.2 GPA or
higher in the preceding spring and fall
terms; or be a freshman or new transfer
who achieved a 3.2 GPA or higher in the
preceding fall term.
“This is one of my absolute favorite
events because of what the people
assembled in this room represent,” said
President Karen Whitney, Ph.D., at the
luncheon. “The commitment to excellence is
reflected by the number of scholar-athletes,
the outstanding teaching and mentoring
from our faculty, staff and coaches, and the
athletes themselves.”
This year’s scholar-athletes represent
46 percent of student-athletes. Athletic
director Dave Katis (’85) noted that
58 percent of current student-athletes
achieved a 3.0 GPA, an athletic department
record.
Katis presented the annual Carlson
Cup Team Award, which goes to the
intercollegiate athletic team that shows the
biggest overall increase in GPA during the
past calendar year, to the women’s soccer
team, led by head coach Sean Esterhuizen.
The award is named after Bob Carlson,

who started the luncheon in 1991 and was
Clarion’s athletic director from 1990 to
2005.

It takes great discipline,
sacrifice and commitment
to successfully balance
school, athletics and life.
Student Athlete Advisory Committee
president Eric White presented Chad
Smith, Ph.D., associate professor of the
management and marketing, with the

Faculty of the Year
award, as voted on by
SAAC, representing
all student athletes.
“I believe the true
recognition goes
to every studentathlete honored
here today,” Smith
Faculty of the Year –
said. “It takes great
Dr. Chad Smith
discipline, sacrifice
and commitment to successfully balance
school, athletics and
life. These individuals
will be the ones to
watch in the future.”
Katis also honored
Student Senate and
Connie J. Laughlin,
director of planning
and assessment for
Extra Effort Award – student affairs, with
Connie J. Laughlin
Extra Effort awards.

Extra Effort Award – Clarion Student Senate – (From left): Athletic director Dave Katis,
Clarion student trustee Darren Young, Todd Garrett, Josh Domitrovich, associate athletic
director Wendy Snodgrass and Student Senate president Marissa Kealey.

Clarion university
magazine

35

sports roundup

Setting themselves apart

“Champions on the court and in the
classroom” has quickly become the motto
for the Golden Eagles women’s volleyball
program. Their success is a model in the
PSAC.
Not only is the team the two-time
defending PSAC West champion while
winning three PSAC West and a PSAC title
since 2010, the squad has also boasted the
top GPA among PSAC women’s volleyball
programs in each of the last two completed
school years, while recording the highest
GPA among all PSAC athletics teams
regardless of gender or sport in 2013-14
with a 3.789.
In addition, the Golden Eagles have been
honored with the last two Capital One/
CoSIDA Academic All-Americas of the Year
as the top student-athlete in the country in
NCAA Division II volleyball – Hannah Heeter
in 2013 and Laura Subject in 2014.
“We take pride in this as a program,” said
Jennifer Mills, Clarion’s eighth-year head

“Work ethic to me
is the No. 1 priority.”
—Coach Mills
coach. “The players put a lot of hard work
into this. It’s important they see the benefit
of getting good grades and working hard

36

Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

toward not just graduation, but graduating
and setting themselves apart from other
people who will be interviewing for the
same position in graduate school or the
same job.”

Every athlete is here
to get an education
first and succeed in
the classroom
So how does a program become a
success both on and off the court?
“When we recruit, we look for
prospective student-athletes who are
strong in the classroom, as well as on the
court,” Mills said. “Work ethic to me is the
No. 1 priority. Many student-athletes who
get here believe they already know what
it means to work hard. While that is true
in some cases, we really try to expand on
that and have them work far beyond their
comfort zone. I believe this will better
prepare them for life after college.”
Identifying the type of student-athlete
who will be successful both on the court
and in the classroom is only the beginning,
though.

Subject, a two-time Capital One/CoSIDA
Academic All-District player in addition
to her Academic All-America of the Year
Award, believes academics are a priority
from the first day players get on campus.
“Academics are stressed a lot within the
program,” Subject said. “Every athlete is
here to get an education first and succeed
in the classroom. Volleyball is another
activity we’re all privileged to be a part
of, but education comes first. Both Coach
(Mills) and Jon (Strub) conduct grade
checks once or twice a semester, and
freshmen and those who don’t meet the
minimum GPA requirement (3.0) have to
complete study hours every week.”
Mills believes building a strong
relationship with professors and
departments on campus is also a key
component in making sure the players
succeed in the classroom.
“I think that is very important,” Mills said.
“From day one, our girls walk into their
classes with a schedule for their professors
and we ask that they introduce themselves
immediately. We want our professors to
know these student-athletes are here to
work hard toward a great education. In
addition, during the recruitment process,

Morgan Seybold and Coach Jen Mills

sports roundup
we try to meet with professors for the
program the prospective student-athlete
is interested in. This helps our studentathletes form an early bond within their
chosen academic field.”
Upperclassmen also play a key role in
passing on the academic tradition to the
younger athletes.

“It’s so important,” Subject said of the
team’s academic reputation. “When our
GPA fell a little bit after the fall, it was
very upsetting. When the team achieved
the highest GPA in the PSAC last year,
we were so proud of it. Every player has
worked hard in the classroom to get our
team’s academic success to that point,
and with the girls on the team now, there
is no reason why it shouldn’t continue like
that.”

Subjective

excellence

Women’s
volleyball team GPA
2009-10 – 3.344
2010-11 – 3.357
2011-12 – 3.517 (2nd highest
GPA among PSAC volleyball
teams) – First year PSAC started
tracking
2012-13 – 3.583 (Highest GPA
among PSAC volleyball teams)
2013-14 – 3.789 (Highest GPA
among all PSAC teams)
2014-15 (Through fall semester) –
3.429

Clarion senior volleyball setter Laura
Subject is the NCAA Division II Capital
One Academic All-America of the Year,
as selected Dec. 12 by the College Sports
Information Directors of America.
Subject joins former teammate and
2013 winner Hannah Heeter as the second
consecutive Golden Eagle to win the NCAA
Division II Volleyball Capital One/CoSIDA
Academic All-America of the Year. It marks
the first time in the awards history that two
different athletes from the same school
have won the Academic All-America of the
Year honor in women’s volleyball in either
the College Division (1987-2010) or NCAA
Division II (2011-14) and just the third time a
school has had back-to-back winners of the
award in those divisions.
A first-team Academic All-America as
well, Subject, who carries a 3.93 GPA in
athletic training, was an Honorable Mention
Daktronics NCAA Division II All-American,
the Daktronics NCAA Division II Atlantic
Region Player of the Year, a first-team
AVCA All-Atlantic Region selection and
the PSAC West Athlete of the Year for the
second straight year this season.
Subject finished second in the PSAC and
20th in the country in set assists per set
this year with 11.27, while also adding 0.39
service aces per set, the 12th-best mark in
the PSAC.
A three-time All-PSAC West selection,
Subject finished her career third in school
history with 4,065 set assists, seventh with
163 aces and 16th with 1,005 digs.
Read more about Subject on page 48.

2015

CLARION UNIVERSITY

SUMMER
SPORTS CAMP
DATES
Men’s wrestling

June 21-24 – Team/Technique Camp
June 26-28 – Father/Son Camp

Football

June 26 – Defensive Back
June 27 – Quarterback/Wide Receiver
June 28 – Defensive Line
Aug. 3-12 – Team Camp

Swimming & Diving
June 7-11 – Week one
June 14-18 – Week two
June 21-25 – Week three

Women’s Basketball
June 19-21 – Team Camp
June 21-25 – Individual Camp
Aug. 8 – Team Shootout

Men’s Basketball
July 5-9 – Individual Camp
July 11– Team Shootout
Aug. 2-6 Individual Camp

Women’s Soccer

June 15-19 – Youth Soccer Camp
June 20-25 – World Cup HS Camp Week
June 29/July 25 – Elite ID Day Camp
June 29-July 1-- Elite ID Resident Camp
July 25-27 – Elite ID Resident Camp
July 13-15 – Goalkeepers Camp
July 17-19 – Individual Camps
July 20-24 – HS Team Camps

Volleyball

July 19-21 - Individual Camp
July 22 – Setters
July 22 – Serve Receive/Defense
July 23 - Hitters
July 24-26 - Team Camp
For more information call 814-393-1997
or visit clariongoldeneagles.com.

HOME OF THE GOLDEN EAGLES

Clarion university
magazine

37

sports roundup

Stroke of

Alviani, Holohan, Couser and Courtney
win Art & Athletics competition
Winners of the Art & Athletics competition
at Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium were (from
left): Ashley Couser, Best 3-Dimensional;
Scott Courtney, Best Photography; Bekah
Alviani, Best in Show; and Bridget Holohan,
Best 2-Dimensional. The competition
was a joint venture by the Clarion
University Athletics Department and the
Department of Art, open to all artists.
Framed photography and two- and threedimensional art, all inspired by Clarion
athletics, were eligible for submission and
were judged by popular vote.

excellence

Clarion senior women’s swimmer Emilee
Gysegem was presented with the PSAC’s
Champion Scholar Award Feb. 22 at the
40th Annual PSAC Women’s Swimming
Championships by assistant commissioner
Carlin Chesick.
The PSAC’s Champion Scholar Awards,
in their fourth year, are modeled after

Flipping

for cancer

the NCAA’s Elite 89 award and honor the
student-athlete with the top grade point
average who is competing at the site of
each of the PSAC’s 23 team championships.
Gysegem is the fourth straight Clarion
swimmer to win the award – Kayla Shull
won the first two awards in 2013 and 2012.
Gysegem has compiled a perfect
4.0 GPA, completing 125 credits, and is
majoring in business management with
a minor in sports management. She is
a three-time Clarion and PSAC Scholar
Athlete and the current vice-president of
SAAC.
“What an amazing accomplishment,”
said Clarion’s 15th year head coach Mark
VanDyke. “She is the epitome of what a
scholar-athlete should be.”
At the PSACs, Gysegem won the 400
individual medley with a time of 4:27.09,
was third in the 200 IM (2:06.17 – 2:05.75
prelims), and in all was a seven-time place
winner. She owns the Clarion record in the
400 IM at 4:26.35.

38

Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

Clarion diving team, under
the direction of veteran
coach Dave Hrovat, raised
over $4,000 with their
Flipping for Cancer event
in December at W.S. Tippin
Natatorium.
The divers completed their
goal of 1,000 somersaults,
raising more than $4,000 for
the Clarion Hospital Cancer
Center. The fundraiser is
part of the athletics department’s year-long commitment to raising money for the
Clarion Hospital Cancer Center.
Divers are (from left): Top row – Grace Nielsen, Stephanie Croft, Nick Larmon,
Collin Vest, Jackson Gray, Seth Brandenburg; bottom row – Amanda O’Kane,
Caitlyn Kaufman, athletic director Dave Katis, Lauren Slayton, Sarah Zerfoss and
Kristin Day.

SPRING 2015 CLARION GOLF OUTINGS
FOOTBALL ALUMNI SCRAMBLE
11 a.m. April 25
Hi Level Golf Course
Entry fee - $100
Contact: Bo Garritano
724-863-8406
robertgarritano@comcast.com

FRAN SHOPE SCRAMBLE
9 a.m. June 7
Clarion Oaks Golf Club
Entry fee - $75
Contact: Wendy Snodgrass
814-393-1989
wsnodgrass@clarion.edu

OPEN TO ALL FRIENDS OF CLARION ATHLETICS
FOOD, GAMES & PRIZES AT ALL EVENTS
CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE
For more information and forms,
visit www.clariongoldeneagles.com.

sports roundup
Clarion “Sports Hall of Fame”
inducts six new members
Six new members will be inducted as the 27th Sports Hall of Fame Class at 7 p.m. May 1 at Eagle Commons dining facility. A
social is set for 5:30 p.m. in the lower level of Eagle Commons, rooms 107/108. All are welcome. Tickets are $40 per person
and are available by contacting Scott Courtney at 814-393-2057. Checks should be made payable to Clarion “Sports Hall of
Fame.”
The new inductees include four former athletes and two contributors in the honorary category: Heather Cigich (women’s
basketball), Nicolina (DiLoreto) Pierce (women’s swimming), Bill English (cross country and track coach), Fran Sirianni
(football, track and field), Dr. Lou Tripodi (honorary – contributor) and Lou Weiers (football).

27TH
INDUCTION
BANQUET
FRIDAY, MAY 1
Heather Cigich (’05)

Bill English

Nicolina (Diloreto) Pierce (’00)

Fran Sirianni (’69)

HEATHER CIGICH- WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WILLIAM “BILL” ENGLISH – CC & TRACK

NICOLINA (DILORETO) PIERCE –
WOMEN’S SWIMMING

1972-1990 Clarion men’s cross country coach
1973-1991 Clarion men’s track coach
1978-1991 Started women’s programs CC and track
Dual meet record 88-45 in cross country
Dual meet record 76–37 in track
Never had a losing season
First six years – 52-mile round trip daily to coach
Coached many PSAC champs and NAIA/NCAA
All-Americans

2002-2005 – Four-year starter
3rd in career points scored – 1,832
2nd in career rebounds – 1,121
2005 – Clarion NCAA D-II playoffs
2005 – 17ppg, 9.7 rpg; 2004 – 20ppg, 12.1 rpg
2004 – Daktronics Third Team All-American
2004 Clarion Women’s Athlete of the Year

1997-2000 – Four-year starter
1997-2000 – 21-time NCAA D-II All-American
1998 – NCAA D-II national champ – 200 breaststroke
1999 – NCAA D-II national champ – 200 breaststroke
1997, 1998, 2000 – Clarion PSAC team champions
1998 – Clarion 3rd place at NCAA D-II Nationals
Clarion career records in 100 and 200 breaststroke

Lou Tripodi

Lou Weiers (’89)

COACH

DR. LOUIS TRIPODI – HONORARY/
CONTRIBUTOR

FRANCIS “FRAN” SIRIANNI – FOOTBALL/
TRACK & FIELD

LOU WEIERS – FOOTBALL

1965-68 Four-year starter at defensive back
1966 – Team 10-0 – PSAC champions
1967 – Team PSAC-West champs
Clarion career record 15 interceptions
1967 & 1968 1st Team PSAC-West/All State
1966, 1967, 1968 1st Team All District
Three-years track sprinter and hurdler

1973-2007 – Clarion faculty member
1988-2005 Clarion Golf Classic co-chair, 17 years
1973-2007 Athlete academic support and advisement
Public address announcer – 1976-2007
Basketball (24 years), wrestling (23 years), football
(10 years)
Swimming and diving (12 years), PSAC, EWL, high
school
1989 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Nationals – announcer
Local, regional and national committees
1984-87 Four letters/three-year starter – DT
1987 – Team captain/team 7-3 record
1987 – AP 1st Team All-American
1987 – Pittsburgh Press District Player of the Year
1987 – 91 tackles, 13 QB sacks
1986 – 94 Tackles, 7 QB sacks
1986 – AP 3rd Team All-American

Clarion university
magazine

39

Lemon

Lander

Trejos

Palmer

Kellner

2015 Distinguished Award Recipients
Kim Lemmon ’78
Distinguished Alumni

Dr. Sandra Trejos
Distinguished Faculty

Paul “Hook” Palmer ’61
Distinguished Volunteer

• Co-anchor for WGAL News 8,
Lancaster
• Won an Emmy in 2007 for her work on
Teacher Impact Awards
• Won second Emmy for work on
WGAL’s Learning Matters special
• Named Best Local News Anchor by
readers of Lancaster County Magazine
for the past 19 years

• Professor of economics, named Faculty
Member of the Year for 2006-07.
• Named Outstanding Latina Faculty
in Higher Education by American
Association of Hispanics in Higher
Education
• Serves on American Society of Hispanic
Economics and Pennsylvania Economic
Society
• Named Who’s Who in America and is
part of the Who’s Who International
Honor Society

• Led his class to raise the largest
class scholarship endowment to
date
• Hosts annual gatherings for
Clarion University alumni
• Served on many committees
of the Alumni Association,
exemplifying giving of time, talent
and treasure
• Loyal fan, friend and supporter
of Clarion University football
and the Dare to Dream football
scholarship

Al Lander ’74
Distinguished Alumni
• Partner in the law offices of Greco and
Lander, P.C., specializing in natural
resource law; speaks at public forms
involving oil and gas issues
• Established Tunnelton Liquids
Company in 1997, providing
employment and supporting economic
development in the region
• With his wife Jan, established
Clarion University Civic Engagement
Scholarship
• Converted 4.5 miles of railroad bed
into a recreational use trail

40

Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

Betsy Kellner
Distinguished Venango Alumni
• Executive director of Venango Museum of Art, Science and Industry
• Serves on a committee that oversees the Barbara Morgan Harvey Center for the
Study of Oil Heritage, housed at Venango; active in strategic planning for the
campus
• Active with multiple community initiatives, including Oil City Main Street program,
Oil City Heritage Society, Oil Heritage Festival committee, executive committee
of Oil Region Alliance, Tourism Promotion Council and Economic Development
Council

Alumni
Notes
Spring 2015
1958

1976

1970

1979

Barbara (Hugus) and Harold (’62) Baker
reside in Knox. They have a daughter,
Lanea. Barbara is retired from Keystone
School District.

Lawrence Carter retired as executive
director, planning and community
development for the City of Altoona. He
resides in Altoona with his wife, Nancy.
Lawrence has two children, Jessica and
Valerie.

1971

Mary (Murphy) Fowler is an assistant
controller for Santa Fe College, Gainesville,
Fla. She resides in Ormond Beach, Fla.

1973

Debra (Bovaird) Britton recently retired
after 39 years in the DuBois Area School
District. She resides in Falls Creek and has
three children: Katie, Jody and Clay.

1975

John (Jack) and Susan (Webster ‘78) Van
Arsdale reside in Harmony. Susan recently
retired from the Seneca Valley School
District after teaching 36 1/2 years.

Thomas Slagel is a purchasing/estimating
agent for Dan Ryan Builders, Westover,
W.Va. He resides in Morgantown, W.Va.
Thomas has three daughters: Katie, Amy
and Emma.
Joyce (Bryant) Schwab recently retired
from Keystone School District. She was
a secondary math teacher and served
as the math department chair. She is
an active volunteer with the Cranberry
Area Food Pantry and is working on her
music ministry. She and her husband, Bill,
celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary
this past June. Joyce and Bill reside in Oil
City. They have two children, Bryan and
Sara.

1981

Vincent Seif is employed with VDA Group
Limited. He resides in Lee’s Summit, Mo.,
with his wife, Diane. They have a daughter,
Angela.

Beth Manitsas is president of Longmeadow
Insurance Agency, LLC, Longmeadow, Mass.
She resides in Longmeadow.

Theresa (Fulton) Kelly recently had an art
show at the Salt Kettle Gallery in Salineville,
Ohio. Previous art shows include: Weirton
Library, Weirton Art Museum, Fort
Steuben Mall, Carrollton Library, HustonBraumbaugh Nature Center. Theresa
resides in Salineville.

Catherine (Cunliffe) Fix is city auditor for
the City of Wadsworth, Ohio. She resides in
Wadsworth.

1982
1983

Ken Jordan is senior vice president/
treasury management sales consultant. He
resides in Rosedale, Calif., with his wife,
Kimberly.

1984

Cheryl Smith is employed at Bloomsburg
University, Bloomsburg. She resides in
Milton with her children, Kelsea and Austin.

1986

Judith (Kranack) Lane is an accountant for
MSI Healthcare, Inc., Pittsburgh. She resides
in Manor. Judith has two sons, William and
Sean.

1988

Margaret (Maggie Sabella) Bernecky is a
technical writer for Miller Fall Protection,
a division of Honeywell Safety Products,
Franklin. She resides in Dempseytown
with her husband, Randy. Maggie has two
daughters, Rachel and Reagan.

1992

Kate (Colna) Bacher is an elementary
principal for the Glendale School District,
Flinton. She resides in Madera with her
husband, John, and children: JJ, Elizabeth
and Joseph.

1995

Vandana Ranjan is a licensed real estate
salesperson for Halstead Property, New
York City. She resides in Brooklyn.
Eileen (Gallo) Beveridge is a director for
Carnegie Free Library, Connellsville. She
resides in Connellsville with her children:
Nathaniel, Austin and Seth.

1996

Dina (Alston) Blackwell is co-founder
and executive director of Homewood
Renaissance Association, Pittsburgh. She
resides in Pittsburgh with her children:
Canaan, Elisha and Elizabeth.

Clarion university
magazine

41

we want to

know about you!

And so do your Clarion classmates. It’s easy to share your latest personal milestones and
professional accomplishments in the pages of Clarion University Magazine. Just send us a note!
Visit www.clarion.edu/alumni-update

1997

Laurie (Doherty) McDonough resides in
Gilbertsville with her husband, Kevin, and
children: Colin, Kelly and Jack.

1998

Dr. Keith Sharrow graduated from the U.S.
Army Clinical Pharmacology Fellowship in
June 2014 and passed the American Board
of Clinical Pharmacology certification
examination in July 2014. He was awarded
the A.H. Hoff Memorial Prize in June 2014.
Keith is a director of clinical pharmacology,
United States Army, JPEO-Medical
Countermeasure Systems, Fort Detrick, Md.
He resides in Pikesville, Md.

1999

Eric and Kristen (Nordstrom ’00) Hartle
reside in Harrisville with their children:
Cameron, Alysa, Ellie and Janelle. Eric
is a senior systems analyst for FedEx in
Robinson Township.

2000

Dr. Christopher and Jennifer (Kibler) Davis
reside in Conway, Ark., with their children:
Emma, Noah, Addison, Kristen and Victoria.
Christopher is chief technology officer for
the University of Central Arkansas.
Shean and Stacey (Meyer ’98, M.S.’00)
Hilton reside in Prescott Valley, Ariz.
Shean works for the Prescott Arizona
Police Department as a motor officer.
He is a certified drug recognition expert,
field training officer, general instructor,
phlebotomotist and traffic crash
reconstructionist.

42

Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

2001

Bradley Jones was recently honored with
the designation of chartered financial
analyst. He is a financial specialist for PNC
Investments, Pittsburgh. He resides in
Cranberry Township with his wife, Jessica.
Robert Kartychak was recently named
assistant principal for Hopewell Elementary
Schools in the Hopewell Area School
District. He resides in Oakdale with his wife,
Colleen, and children, Bobby and Patrick.
Sarah (Howell) Connolly is operations
specialist for Sun Life Financial, Wellesley
Hills, Mass. She resides in Leominster, Mass.,
with her husband, Shawn.

2002

Matthew Swort is a director of distributed
systems for Sotera Defense. He resides in
Port Deposit, Md., with his wife, Nicole,
and children: Isaiah, Brandon, Arabella, and
Amelia.

2003

Joe Harmon was recently selected to be
one of 23 teachers nationally to serve on
the iCivics National Teacher Council. Joe
is a teacher at the Redbank Valley High
School. He resides in Fairmount City.

2004

Jeff Alley is a revenue accounting manager
for Daegis, Inc., Irving, Texas. He resides in
Dallas.
Alison (Morber) Kitchin is a teacher for
Escambia County (Florida) Public Schools.
She resides in Cantonment, Fla., with her
husband, Christopher, and children: Haley,
Mariah and Logan.

Dawn (Jackowski) Lastowka is a
recruitment manager, mid-Atlantic region,
for City Year, Philadelphia. She resides in
Philadelphia with her husband, Kenneth.

2005

Ashlie (Beard) Shellenberger is a 6th
grade special education teacher. She
resides in Williamsburg, Va., with her
husband, Dave.

2006

Lance and Victoria (Lucas) Astorino
reside in Inwood, W.Va., with their
daughters, Adelyn and Aubrey. Lance is an
administrative lead teacher for Washington
County Schools, Hagerstown, Md.
Tracy Mastalski is an elementary librarian
for Big Beaver Falls Area School District,
Beaver Falls. She resides in Beaver Falls.

2007

Brett (MBA ’10) and Elizabeth (Suwala’10)
Sheaffer reside in Carlisle. Brett is a
government and economics teacher and
assistant varsity boys’ basketball coach
and Elizabeth is a high school learning
support teacher and assistant varsity girls’
basketball coach, both for South Middleton
School District, Boiling Springs.
Inger Birgitta Sundell-Ranby recently
graduated with a B.A. in anthropology from
Wayne State University, Detroit. She resides
in Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.

2009

Justin Keally is a business development
analyst - worldwide healthcare division
for FedEx Corporate, Washington, D.C. He
resides in Herndon, Va.
Dr. Nico Rocco is owner/chiropractor of
Rocco Family Chiropractic, Fort Collins,
Colo. He resides in Fort Collins with his
wife, Jess.

Members of Clarion University Class of 1964 gathered during Alumni Weekend for their 50-year reunion.

2010

Rich Eckert is an associate athletic director
for Marian University. He resides in Fond du
Lac, Wis., with his wife, Ashley.
Sara (Hines) Lutz is the owner of Family Fit
Club LLC. She resides in Clearfield with her
husband, Shane, and daughter, Alina.
Benjamin Austin is Vicar at the Immanuel
Lutheran Church, Palmyra, Mich. He resides
in Blissfield, Mich.

2011

Christopher Katella is a communications
associate for AidData, Williamsburg, Va. He
resides in Newport News, Va.

2012

Cody McCandless is a sales/management
trainee for Ferguson Enterprises
Waterworks Division, Coatesville. He
resides in Downingtown.

2013

Dana Connors is a comprehensive
therapeutic emotional support teacher for
Intermediate Unit 1. She resides in Venetia.

Rosemary Cunningham is therapeutic
support staff for Family Behavioral
Resources. She resides in Presto.

David McAllister is a nationally registered
paramedic/training and education
coordinator for Mount Nittany Health
Center, State College. He resides in Dubois
with his wife, Tracey, and children: Nichole,
Scott, Cullen, Connor and Madison.
Karen Shaffer is an assistant professor at
Thiel College, Greenville. She resides in
Grove City with her children, Austin and
Autumn.

2014

Devin Kuberry is an engineering geologist
for Michael Baker, Inc., Moon Township. He
resides in Shippenville.
Amanda Platt is a middle school social
studies teacher for the Baltimore City
Public Schools. She resides in Baltimore.

Kari Reda is head of circulation/assistant to
the director for the Carnegie Free Library
of Beaver Falls. She resides in Beaver Falls.

Clarion university
magazine

43

In Memoriam
1930s

Margaret B. (Summerville) Williams ’30,
Oct. 6, 2014
Mary Joye (Jones) Magee ’38, Oct. 26, 2014
Mary Thelma Glenn ’37, Jan. 29, 2015

1940s

Mary D. Giatas ’48, Sept. 20, 2014
Betty (Rhodes) Farnsworth ’44, Dec. 26,
2014
Phyllis Elizabet (Hale) Jordan ’48, Jan. 3,
2015
Jean (Tait) Burke ’43, Jan. 10, 2015
Phyllis (Timlin) Fisher ’44, Jan. 26, 2015

1950s

George A. Marshall ’53, Aug. 17, 2014
Edward W. Ewaskey ’52, Sept. 27, 2014
Paul P. Hamilton ’58, Sept. 30, 2014
Robert Lewis Flath ’50, Oct. 5, 2014
John W. Zissis ’55, Oct. 16, 2014
Helen (Toth) Cedzo ’50, Nov. 25, 2014
Avalon L. (Delp) Cordell ’57, Dec. 11, 2014
Harry Richard White ’55, Dec. 12, 2014
John Lee Keriotis ’53, Dec. 18, 2014
Dorothea Carol (Gildersleeve) Fesenmyer
’50, Dec. 21, 2014
Ronald Elton Bole ’57, Jan. 1, 2015
Roberta (Kaminski) DeWitt ’53, Jan. 14,
2015
Thomas Emanuele ’56, Jan. 24, 2015

1960s

Patricia Ann (Reiter) Tickner ’64, Sept. 1,
2014
Martha J. Dunn ’62, Sept. 13, 2014
James E. Hunter ’61, Oct. 8, 2014
Robert A. Case ’63, Oct. 22, 2014
William Hayes Temple ’64, Nov. 1, 2014
George F. Cottrell ’62, Dec. 7, 2014
Dennis C. Lesslie ’69, Dec. 23, 2014
Joyce R. Matha ’63, Dec. 29, 2014
Turzah B. (Atwell) Gardner ’61, Jan. 15, 2015
Gail L. (Hamburg) Grossi ’68, Jan. 16, 2015
Marilyn B. (Keefer) Burkett ’67, Jan. 30,
2015

44

Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

1970s

Jeffrey L. Hatch ’78, Sept. 15, 2014
Cynthia L. (Huffmyer) Trussell ’76, Oct. 3,
2014
Russell C. Reefer ’78, Oct. 4, 2014
Virginia L. Grafton ’72, Oct. 8, 2014
Mary A. Schaefer ’77, Oct. 29, 2014
Diane (Jester) Dorer ’70, Nov. 7, 2014
Peter M. Morelli ’77, Nov. 12, 2014
Blanche J. Dodrill ’74, Nov. 15, 2014
Robert Allen Konkle ’72, Jan. 27, 2015
Russell C. Alderton ’70, Jan. 28, 2015

1980s

Scott B. Rice ’83, Sept. 8, 2014
Paul J. Zacherl ’87, Oct. 7, 2014
Concetta M. (Kukla) McIsaac ’87, Oct. 21,
2014
Jeffrey L. Seidel ’84, Dec. 12, 2014
Dian (Selway) Cataldo ’84, Dec. 27, 2014
Lloyd A. White ’85, Jan. 4, 2015
Jack Allen Fike ’89, Jan. 22, 2015
Mark R. Snyder ’81, Jan. 30, 2015

1990s

Valerie J. (Miller) Jackson ’93, Nov. 22, 2014
Shonna Rea (Dean) Jordan ’92, Dec. 8, 2014
Lisa Lynn (Haines) Barr ’96, Jan. 12, 2015

2000s

Michael J. Quinn ’08, Oct. 19, 2014

2010s

Katelyn Roseanne Mohney ’12, Jan. 4, 2015

Friends

Maria Gigliotti, Aug. 19, 2014
Patrick K. Blauser, Aug. 24, 2014
Phillip L. Wein, Sept. 3, 2014
Rafael Diaz y Diaz, Sept. 11, 2014
Antoinette Lee (Gleixner) Kelso, Sept. 17,
2014
Joyce Stanley, Sept. 20, 2014
Kristy Hines, Sept. 24, 2014
Gene Miller, Sept. 27, 2014
Edna E. Swartfager, Sept. 29, 2014
Ray McHenry, Oct. 5, 2014
Thomas Harrington, Oct. 10, 2014
Robert Jeffrey, Oct. 16, 2014
Terese M. Helmintoller, Oct. 26, 2014
Ivan Hook, Nov. 5, 2014
Daryl Rhea, Nov. 12, 2014
Laura Standish, Nov. 24, 2014
Allen George, Dec. 6, 2014
Debbie Montgomery, Dec. 12, 2014
Nancy Nanovsky, Dec. 20, 2014
Donald Stroup, Dec. 23, 2014
Helen D. Gaston, Dec. 28, 2014
Christine Ruffner, Dec. 30, 2014
Antoinette Babington, Jan. 3, 2015

Nicholas Gavazzi, 18,
a freshman biochemistry major/
nanotechnology minor and member of
the Clarion University wrestling team,
was killed in a car accident Feb. 23 in
Armstrong County.
“Nick was the kind of kid you wanted
your son to become,” said wrestling head
coach Keith Ferraro. “He was not only a
great wrestler, but a great leader in the
classroom. He was a joy to be around and
well-liked by his teammates. We are all
better off for having spent time with him.”
In high school, Nick placed 5th at PIAA’s in 2013 with a record of 38-4 and was
a WPIAL Champion. He posted a 36-5 mark in 2012.
The class valedictorian at Charleroi High, Nick was on the dean’s list his first
semester at Clarion, fall 2014.

Nick Gavazzi
1996

2015

births
Dr. Christopher (’00) and Jennifer (Kibler
’00) Davis, a daughter, Victoria, Dec. 31,
2013.

marriages

Christopher and Alison (Morber ’04)
Kitchin, a son, Logan, March 22, 2014.

Rich (’10) and Ashley Eckert, June 14, 2014.
Kenneth Lastowka and Dawn (’04)
Jackowski, Oct. 12, 2014.

Lance (’06) and Victoria (Lucas ’06)
Astorino, a daughter, Aubrey, July 15, 2014.

Douglas Doggett and Jena (’12) Leddon,
Dec. 31, 2014.

Eric (’99) and Kristen (Nordstrom ’00)
Hartle, a daughter, Janelle Danielle, Oct. 18,
2014.

Shawn Connolly and Sarah (’01) Howell,
July 19, 2014.

Kevin and Laurie (Doherty ‘97)
McDonough, a son, Jack Thomas, Sept. 12,
2014.

Brett (’07, M.B.A. ’10) Sheaffer and
Elizabeth (’10) Suwala, June 14, 2014.

babes:
welcome to
the world!

bib

Our gift to “baby Eagles” of
Clarion alumni is a dashing
new bib! To receive a bib,
let us know about the new
addition to your nest by
emailing to alumni@clarion.
edu:
• Parents’ names
• Graduation year of alumni
• Baby’s gender and name
• Date of birth
Once you receive your bib, take a picture of
your Eaglet putting the bib to use, and email
a high-resolution photo to us for inclusion in
Clarion University Magazine.

Joseph and
Kelsey (Kimmel
’06) Jackson,
a son, Brayden,
May 12, 2014.

Brayden Jackson

Vince and Natalie (Smith
’00) Kidwell, twins, a
son, Mathew Scott, and a
daughter, Mia Elizabeth,
Aug. 22, 2014.

Matthew Scott and Mia Elizabeth Kidwell

Clarion university
magazine

45

Mark Liberto:
one with confidence
This Clarion grad
has the confidence ...

In 2010, When Mark Liberto (’12, MBA ’14) was a junior at
Clarion University, working toward his undergraduate degree
in history with a minor in political science, he applied and was
accepted into The Harrisburg Internship Semester. It was a
turning point for Liberto.
“I personally believe there is nothing
better than real-world experience,” he said.
“The internship in Harrisburg gave me the
ability to work with professionals and learn
what questions to ask.”
As he was wrapping up his semester
in Harrisburg, a friend told him about a
fellowship opportunity in Washington, D.C.,
through Marquette University. He pursued
it and was awarded a fellowship during the
summer of 2011, which he served at the Les
Aspin Center for Government, in the office
of U.S. Congressman Allyson Schwartz.
There he worked with Schwartz’
constituent community, studied foreign
policy and worked with tax law,” he said. “I
met Ron Paul.”
His summer in the nation’s capital was
at the same time that the Anthony Weiner
story broke. Schwartz’ office was the first
to say Weiner should resign.
Liberto graduated in 2012, then enrolled
in Clarion’s MBA program a year later. He
continued to seize opportunities.
In spring 2013, he was offered a graduate
assistantship at Clarion’s Center for
Applied Research and Intellectual Property
Development, where he helped to facilitate
a $300,000 Discovered in PA – Developed

46

Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

in PA grant from Gov. Tom Corbett’s Make
It in PA initiative.
The grant was awarded to support
the Clarion Regional Innovation support
program, comprised of Clarion’s CARIPD,
Clarion University Small Business
Development Center and Clarion County

“History is all
about research.
It fits perfectly
with business –
that’s all about
analyzing data.”
Economic Development Corporation. CRISP
is a comprehensive support system offering
small business support, access to high-tech
physical/wet lab space and county-specific
economic development participation
throughout northwest Pennsylvania.
Combined, those experiences qualified
Liberto for a 12-week MBA internship at

GlaxoSmithKline, Coraopolis,
where he worked within the
company’s consumer healthcare
division, looking at the potential
of releasing non-U.S. brands
using e-commerce. GSK offered
Liberto a position with the
company as strategic project
manager, which he continued
until March, when he was
promoted to associate brand
manager.
He said it all started at Clarion.
“Clarion is a place where I
matured into my own,” Liberto
said. A self-described mediocre
student in high school, was in
special assistance classes, and
his teachers didn’t think he’d do
much with his life. “I changed
my life completely (at Clarion),
from having been extremely
overweight to how I look at the
world.”
Liberto said he fully believes in
the notion of God’s grace. “God
put me here, and he did a lot

with me.”
One of the reasons that Clarion is such a
good fit for Liberto is its size.
“I have friends who go to Penn State,
where they’re one of hundreds in a
class. At Clarion, if I have a question, the
professors could engage me personally. I
got accustomed to communication with
people who aren’t my peers. I can speak
in front of a professional audience and
feel comfortable because I’ve bounced my
ideas off of experts in the field. At Clarion,
students can communicate with people
whom they aspire to be like.”
Liberto believes, too, in the importance
of studying arts and humanities. His
undergraduate degree in history taught
him to think critically about the world and
how it works, and how to look at people in
segmented ways.
“History is all about research. It fits
perfectly with business – that’s all about
analyzing data,” he said.
The arts, he said, have taught him how
to think creatively, a skill necessary for his
work with GSK.
“It’s is all about innovation, and you can’t
have innovation without creativity,” Liberto
said.

Radio
success
is no
tall
tale
Two years ago, when the
opportunity arose for Cathy
Schodde (’04) to interview
Steelers football players in
the locker room after the
game, she decided to have
some fun with it.
Instead of asking players about a
particular play in that day’s game or
thoughts on an upcoming game, her
queries are more along the lines of “What
is your favorite kind of cheese?” “What’s
the last movie that made you cry?”
“They’re the dumbest questions
possible,” said Schodde, who is known
as Tall Cathy (she’s six feet tall) to the
listening audience of Clear Channel
Radio’s 96.1 KISS, where she is an on-air
personality. “They get grilled with football
questions, but the guys are OK talking
with me. My interviews are all about fun.”
Schodde, who graduated with a
bachelor’s degree in business marketing,
said her mom always knew she’d have a
career that put her in the spotlight.
“I was always such a showoff as a kid,”
she said.
Since high school, Schodde said,
she wanted to be on air, but her mom
recommended a more “realistic” degree.
Still wanting to do something with music
and marketing, she chose business

marketing as her major, and she chose
Clarion University as her school.
“I liked the university. It had a really
good feel to it. I looked at other places,
but they didn’t feel right. Clarion had a

They’re the
“
dumbest questions
possible but
the guys are OK
talking with me.
My interviews are
all about fun.

”

nice, warm, welcoming feeling,” she said.
It’s a choice she’s glad she made.
“In my senior year I took an Intro
to Marketing Media class with Dr.
Joanne Washington. There I learned
about billboard structure and writing
commercials,” Schodde said. “A lot of
what I learned in that class I used right
away when I came (to Clear Channel
Radio) – I designed magazine ads and
billboards, and down on the radio side, I
wrote scripts for commercials.”
It was Schodde’s first full-time job after
college. She began in promotions before

moving to sales in the sports marketing
department of the Penguins and Steelers
Radio Network. Her first on-air gig
was small, but it helped her move into
programming.
“I used to go out with the afternoon
guy, Scotty, and he asked me to read
a segment called “Female Emo” on
Mondays,” she said. “He was the one who
dubbed me ‘Tall Cathy.’ Fast forward a
year and a half, Scotty left the station, I
got a new boss and I told him I had always
been interested in being on the air. That
weekend I started doing overnights on the
radio station.”
From there she covered mid day, then
moved into the afternoon drive slot about
a year and a half ago. In addition to her
time on air, she is also the station’s music
director and assistant programming
director. For Steelers Radio Network, she
covers Steeler Sunday pre-game time, two
hours before kickoff.
Her work also allows her to rub elbows
with celebrities, Ed Sheeran and Conan
O’Brian, among them. Last August she
interviewed the cast of TNT television
network’s “Legends,” which she turned
into commercials.
“I love everything (about the work I do)
– the people I work with, the experiences,
the music. This job has been such a
blessing, and I’m happy to come into work
every single day.”
Clarion university
magazine

47

Courageous

endeavors

Laura Subject

Every day of the week is different for me,
but they’re all very busy. It seemed like last
semester was one of the busiest I have had
throughout my four years as a volleyball
player.
Every day consisted of practice or
a game, class and my athletic training
rotation. As an athletic training major, I
have to complete 150 hours a semester at a
sports rotation. Last fall, my rotation was a
local rehabilitation clinic a few miles away.
As a fall sport athlete, I was allowed to go
to any fall sport practice or game to help
me complete my hours.
Most of my days started pretty early,
by 8 or 9 a.m., due to class. I am not a
morning person and would have loved to
sleep in! After class I usually went over to
the clinic either in the late morning or early
afternoon, depending on when my class
finished. I usually ate breakfast or lunch
in the car on the way there or at the clinic
itself.
I needed to leave the clinic between 3
and 5 p.m. to go to practice. I did not have
to be there as early as the other girls to
enable me to get an extra 15-30 minutes
each day of athletic training hours. Practice
usually lasted around two or two-and-ahalf hours.
After practice I would either grab dinner
or run to my late class that went from 6
to 9 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. If I
didn’t have class, I would occasionally go to
soccer practice to get more athletic training
hours.
Most days, I did not get home until 9.
Days with my late class, I was not eating
dinner until after 9. Once I got home I
would either work on homework or sit on
the couch and watch Netflix. It was a very
busy semester, but I’d rather have that than
be sitting on the couch all the time!

48

Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu

SHARE

your

STORY

Courageous. confident. Clarion.
is the new tagline associated with the university’s
new brand.

It is about the perseverance and passion—in
a word, the grit—of Clarion University students,
faculty, and alumni who are striving to meet, headon, the challenges of the 21st century.
It’s also about the strength and resilience—
the grace—that they exhibit as they adapt and
innovate not only to achieve personal success but
also to further the greater good of the region and
the state.

Read Laura’s story

At www.clarion.edu/shareyourstory

you can see the stories of how Clarion
students, faculty, and alumni help each
other—in both big and small ways—to
reach a goal, overcome an obstacle, or just
open a new door.

We’d love to hear your Courageous.

Confident. Clarion. story, too. Send it,
plus a photo of yourself, to myclarionstory
@mindovermedia.com.

Clarion University is an affirmative action equal opportunity employer.

Want to see an example? Read laura
Subject’s story in this edition of the
Clarion university
magazine.
magazine

49

nonprofit org.
u.s. postage
paid
permit no. 2
clarion, pa

840 Wood Street
Clarion, PA 16214-1232
www.clarion.edu

June 5-6,
5-7, 2015
JUNE
2015
clarion.edu/alumni

––––––––––

a few of the highlights

–––––––––––

All Weekend – Class of 1965 50th reunion celebration
Friday, June 5 – Distinguished Awards and New Alum-nite
Saturday, June 6 –Alumni-fest picnic
Sunday, June 7 –New Fran Shope golf outing

50

For more information and schedule of events, visit www.clarion.edu/alumniweekend.

For questions regarding alumni weekend, call the Alumni Relations Office at 814-393-2572.
Spring 2015
www.clarion.edu