CLARION
U N I V E R S I T Y

M A G A Z I N E

SPRING 2018

A
FORCE
IN MOTION

The $42.7 million Tippin Gymnasium
renovation project is underway.

CLARION

SP R I N G 2 0 1 8
VOLUME 5
NUMBER 1

FEATURES
12 Greeks focus on service,
development

With a focus on philanthropy, Clarion’s Greek
organizations are shattering the stereotype of
wild fraternities and snooty sororities.

18 A look back: 1917-1967

Events in American history shaped the growth
of what was then Clarion State Normal School
and Clarion State Teachers College. The
establishment of the Venango campus also
greatly impacted Clarion’s future.

DEPARTMENTS
4 Clarion Digest
Pfannestiel accepts provost position at Utica
College; faculty member Jocelynn Smrekar
awarded Fulbright Scholarship for Ecuador;
alumni Casey Dunleavy (’13) and Sam Nolan
(’14) are making names for themselves in their
respective fields; Patti Shontz (’10) and her
daughter Angie Harriett (’07, ’10) secured a
grant to help stock a school food pantry.
10 CU in the Bahamas
Clarion University family and friends set
sail for the Bahamas in January, part of the
sesquicentennial celebration.
32 Sports Roundup

28 A force in motion

Through a Fulbright Award and a National
Science Foundation fellowship, Jacob Beckey
is reaping the benefits of hard work and an
academic path that he laid out in high school.

On its 30th anniversary, Clarion Sports Hall of
Fame inducts Nellis, McAdoo, Carter, Hughes
and Payne; Christina Sathers continues
Clarion’s excellence in diving with a national
championship; Ferraro breathes new life into
wrestling program.
40 Alumni News & Class Notes

ON THE COVER
FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR
JACOB BECKEY

The building officially closed and fencing around the building was installed in
late March. The project is a total renovation with a new entrance/lobby, complete
overhaul of the basketball courts and seating, natatorium overhaul with a new
combination swimming/diving pool, expanded areas for wrestling, new weight
room, new locker rooms and a new auxiliary gymnasium.

46 Alumni profile: William L. Myers Jr. (’80)
48 Courageous Endeavors
It’s daunting to start a new business, but Logan
Chernicky took the leap of faith as a junior,
then, as a senior, won $10,000 to help that
business grow.

See renderings and official groundbreaking photos at
clariongoldeneagles.com/tippinrenovation.
CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

1

CLARION
UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

President: Peter C. Fackler
Executive editor: Tina Horner
Co-editors: Sean Fagan (sports); Amy Thompson Wozniak (’02, M.S. ’06)
Design: Bryan Postlewait (‘04)
Contributors: Michelle Port, Jessica Funk
Photographers: Adam Reynolds (’15), Brett Whitling, Bri Nellis (’16),
G. Chad Thomas (‘01)
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
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: Director of Social Equity, Clarion
University of Pennsylvania, 210 Carrier Administration Building, Clarion,
PA 16214-1232. 814-393-2109.

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
One of my responsibilities as university president is to

Pennsylvania State System of
Higher Education Board of Governors
Chair: Cynthia D. Shapira
Vice Chair: David M. Maser
Vice Chair: Harold C. Shields
Sen. Ryan P. Aument
Audrey F. Bronson
Sarah Galbally
Rep. Michael K. Hanna
Shaina Marie Hilsey
Donald E. Houser Jr.
Barbara McIlvaine Smith
Marian D. Moskowitz
Thomas S. Muller
Pedro A. Rivera, secretary of education
Sen. Judy Schwank
Samuel H. Smith
Brian Swatt
Neil R. Weaver
Janet L. Yeomans
Gov. Tom Wolf
Council of Trustees
Chair: J.D. Dunbar (’77, M.S. ’79)
Vice Chair: Milissa Bauer (’84)
Secretary: James L. Kifer (’83)
Dr. Syed R. Ali-Zaidi
Susanne A. Burns
The Honorable R. Lee James (’74, ‘83)
The Honorable Donna Oberlander (’91)
Randy Seitz (’09)
Howard H. Shreckengost (’83)
Neil Weaver (’00)
Edward Green, student trustee
Alumni Association Board of Directors
President: Jeffrey Douthett (’79)
President-Elect: Theresa Edder (’91, 05)
Treasurer: Jonathan Catanzarita (’11)
Secretary: Virginia Vasko (’88)
Lindsay Banner (’07)
Angela Brown (’80)
Michael Chapaloney (‘99)
Kimberly Griffith (’87)
Lee Grosch (’62)
Sandra Jarecki (’69)
Bridget Kennedy (’90)
Thomas Launer (’10)
Chris Myers (’12)
Michael Phillips (’03, ’04)
Michael Polite (’86)
Will Price (’11)
David Reed (’09)
Georgia Yamalis (’15)
Glenn Zary (’97)

attend meetings of the Council of Trustees. That body meets
four times a year, most recently in April, and conducts
various university business, including celebrating
accomplishments of students. At the April meeting, three
of our students gave us particular reason to celebrate. Their
stories are told in this magazine.
Junior Christina Sather talked about her gut feeling when
visiting campus, that Clarion was the place where she could
realize her dreams of becoming an early childhood educator
and becoming a national diving champion. In completing her
recent block experience, Christina has confirmed that
teaching young children is the right career choice for her. In
April, she became the national women’s one-meter
diving champion and College Swimming Coaches Association of America Division II Women’s Diver
of the Year.
Logan Chernicky talked about the company he created, “Enhanced Visual,” which he considered
pursuing full time last year, instead of completing his senior year at Clarion. Ultimately, he stayed in
school, worked with the SBDC to develop a business plan, and entered the PASSHE Business Plan
Competition, which he won. He is a May graduate with dual degrees in geology and environmental
geology. He also has the competition’s top prize of $10,000, which he will use to support and grow
his business.
Jacob Beckey, also a May graduate, started planning his post-baccalaureate work – with the
eventual goal of earning his PhD in physics – when he was a high school sophomore. That plan
brought him to Clarion where he has taken advantage of multiple research opportunities in physics
and math – his two majors. He learned in April that he won a Fulbright Award to study physics in
the United Kingdom, which he will do prior to using his National Science Foundation fellowship to
do research and pursue his PhD.
Clarion University has always been the place where students with the drive to reach higher have
the support and encouragement to do so. These students are sure to shine in their individual
academic fields, and they have earned it. They focused on their passions, and they chose a
university that would nurture their dreams to reality.

Christopher Enos
Eagle Ambassadors president
Peter Fackler ex-officio
Interim president, Clarion University

2

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Peter C. Fackler
Interim president
Clarion University
CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

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STUDENT NEWS I CLARION DIGEST

C

ALUMNI NEWS I CLARION DIGEST
NOLAN (’14) TIES FOR BEST ORALIST
IN NATIONAL COMPETITION
Samuel Nolan (’14) a second-year
Duquesne Law student, tied with fellow
Duquesne Law student Dominic Corrolla for
the Best Oralist Award at the 2018
Seigenthaler-Sutherland Cup National First
Amendment Moot Court Competition March
23 and 24 in Washington, D.C. Both are
members of Duquesne Law’s Appellate Moot
Court Board.
The competition featured 24 teams from
law schools around the country and focused
on the constitutionality of public officials’
exclusion of constituents and deletion of
adverse comments from social media
accounts discussing public policy issues.
Newseum and The Catholic University of
America Columbus School of Law were
competition hosts.

Members of Clarion University’s Brothers and Sisters in Christ
spent their spring break on a mission trip to Puerto Rico.
BASIC partnered with CalU’s New Life organization and
SendRelief, a disaster relief organization, to distribute food to
communities in need and to replace roofs on houses. BASIC is a
Christian ministry group that is devoted to spreading the gospel
and serving the campus.

4

Clarion students who participated are:
(back row, from left) Nadia Pitts, Brooke Shaulis,
Damodica Robinson, Dasia Jackson,
Scott Underhill and Anthony Servette;
(middle row) Chelsea Arrington, Zhane Steele and
Vinia McClendon; (kneeling) Quinlin Lambert, Justin
Torres and Sonny Jones. Shaulis and Underhill
are campus ministers.

TOBECO RECOGNIZED FOR
LITERARY EXCELLENCE

SMREKAR AWARDED
FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP

Tobeco, 2016-2017 edition, published by the Rho Iota
chapter, tied for second in the Sigma Tau Delta International
English Honor Society Outstanding Literary Arts Journal Award
contest. Editors are 2017 graduates Therese Holzapfel (left) and
Kaitlynn Sass. Last year, Tobeco received honorable mention in
the competition. Rho Iota received $250 and a plaque.
Faculty advisors are Dr. Phil Terman and Dr. Melissa Downes.

Dr. Jocelynn Smrekar has received a Fulbright
Scholarship to travel to Ecuador during the 2018-19
academic year. While there, she has been invited to teach
English and early childhood education classes at the
Universidad Central de Quito, the oldest and largest
university in Ecuador, having about 20,000 students. She
also will research the characteristics of high-quality
English instruction in Ecuadorian classrooms, particularly
with young children.

SPRING 2018
WWW.CLARION.EDU

CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

5

CAMPUS NEWS I CLARION DIGEST
MCINTYRE RECEIVES RESEARCH AWARD

CAMPUS NEWS I CLARION DIGEST

Pfannestiel

ACCEPTS PROVOST
POST IN NY
Dr. Todd Pfannestiel, interim provost of Clarion
University, has accepted the position of provost and senior
vice president for academic affairs at Utica
College, Utica, N.Y. He will begin June 1.

Dr. Kathleen M. McIntyre,
associate professor of history
and director of women and
gender studies, received the
2018-2019 Florence Ellen Bell
Scholar Award by the United
Methodist Archive and History
Center at Drew University.
McIntyre will use the $2,500
award, one of the most
prestigious research awards for
historians of religious history, for
housing and travel to do
research at the archive.
She anticipates conducting
the research this summer.
McIntyre is working on an article
on Methodist women
missionaries in Latin America
as part of a larger book project
on missionary women in Latin
America from 1860-1960.

Her first book, “Here the People Rule:
Religious Conflict, Community, and State
Formation in Post-revolutionary Oaxaca,”
forthcoming from University of New Mexico
Press in 2018, focuses on Protestant growth
in southern Mexico. Last summer McIntyre
researched at Mount Holyoke College and
Vassar College Special Collections for this
current project on missionary women.

Pfannestiel, in his 20th year at Clarion University,
began as adjunct professor in 1998 and advanced to full
professor. In 2011, he began a two-year
appointment as faculty fellow for planning, assessment and
improvement, then became dean of the College of Arts,
Education and Sciences in 2014.
In 2016, Pfannestiel stepped in as interim provost and
vice president of academic affairs. As such, he worked with
other university constituents on admissions, which resulted
in the first enrollment increase in eight years in fall 2017.

SPRING 2018
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He represented fellow faculty members in many
capacities. “Clarion University has helped to shape my professional and personal life for 20 years,” Pfannestiel said.
“Along the way, I’ve taught many remarkable students and
worked with wonderful colleagues, together with whom
we have advanced the institution in many exciting ways.
Utica College presents many new opportunities, and we’ll
have those same great relationships there. My wife (Aimee
Zellers ‘08) and I will always have strong connections to
our Clarion family and will enjoy watching its continued
growth.”

As dean, then as provost, he led the university in
developing new academic programs that are relevant to
workforce needs and in demand by students, including the
opioid treatment specialist certificate, bachelor’s degree in
respiratory care, concussion management certificate, and
the concentration in arts and entertainment management.
Pfannestiel served as Clarion’s acting president after the
departure of Dr. Karen Whitney in September, until Pete
Fackler was appointed interim president in November.

DÉDÉ BIDS FOND FAREWELL
TO CLARION UNIVERSITY
Dr. Brenda Sanders
Dédé, associate vice
president for academic
affairs, will retire in July.
She will leave a 23-year
legacy of service to the
university, its students and
the entire Clarion
community.
Throughout her tenure with Clarion University, Dédé has
worked with students, faculty and administrators to help
solve issues and problems. She is a charter member of the
American Association of Blacks in Higher Education.

6

He has advised numerous student groups. As History
Club advisor, Pfannestiel developed, with his students, the
popular Clarion University Ghost Experience, a local Halloween tradition since 2001. Pfannestiel also advised Phi
Alpha Theta History Honor Society, CU Ice Hockey Club
and Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

Clarion Chamber of Business and Industry named Dr.
Dédé Citizen of the Year for 2016. In 2012, she was recognized as Clarion University Alumni Association’s Distinguished Volunteer for her work both in the community and
at the university. Among her outstanding contributions are
founding and chairing the Martin Luther King Jr. Community
Breakfast, the Juneteenth program and the campus Martin
Luther King Jr. celebration.
She is a Clarion Borough Councilwoman and has served
with the Clarion Area Chamber, Borough Planning Commission, Kiwanis Club, United Way, Big Brothers/Big Sisters,
SAFE domestic violence agency, Clarion County Community
Choir and First Baptist Church.
CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

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FOOD FOR

Dunleavy
SOARS TO
ALTITUDE

Casey Dunleavy (’13) has
joined the Altitude Marketing
team as manager, digital
marketing. She will develop and
implement campaigns to
attract, nurture and engage
clients’ audiences to meet
specific goals and milestones.
Altitude Marketing, Emmaus,
Pa., is an integrated marketing
agency serving technologyfocused B2B companies.

Thought

Patti Shontz (’10), a staff
member in the Clarion University
Nursing Department, along with
her daughter, Angie (Shontz ’07,
’10) Harriett, a reading specialist
for Oil City Middle School, used
a Clarion University Community
Fellows grant, funded through
Clarion University Foundation,
Inc., to purchase food and
personal hygiene items for the
food pantry at Oil City Middle/
High School.
“This is specially designed to
feed our middle and high school
students and their families. These
students often go hungry over
weekends and long breaks,” said

Harriett, who is coordinator of
the program.

ALUMNI NEWS I CLARION DIGEST

“In return, (the students) pay
it forward in kindness toward
another person, such as inviting a
lonely student to the lunch table
or assisting another student
during class.”
The school partnered with
Bridge Builders and Second
Harvest Food Bank to create
the food pantry, and local clubs,
churches, banks, businesses and
individuals donated to fund the
project. Harriett’s husband built
the pantry shelving, and friends
and neighbors helped transport
the shelving to the school. The
university also donated reusable
totes for the students to use to
transport the food.
Harriett (left), Shontz and
Harriett’s daughters

YEAR OF SERVICE
TO STUDENTS
Christopher Albrecht (M.Ed.
’95) 2018 New York State
Teacher of the Year, visited
Clarion University in February,
sharing with education majors
and the community how to be
a catalyst for children to find
joy and happiness in learning.
Albrecht (center back of photo,
in gray shirt) has dedicated this
year to the service and charity of all students and teachers statewide. He received a
monetary award for his Teacher
of the Year honor, and he used
100 percent of it to buy books,
which he delivers on school
visits in New York while teaching lessons on moral character,
creativity and the importance

8

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of reading. While visiting Clarion he
delivered books to five classrooms
at Clarion-Limestone Elementary
School, including the first grade
classrooms (pictured) of Becky
Whitling and Rhonda Shook (’92,
M.Ed. ’98).

This spring, Albrecht was a guest
of President Donald Trump at the
White House, and in May, he will
present to a global audience as a
TEDx speaker.
CLARION UNIVERSITY
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CU

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e
h
t
in

BAHAMAS
Alumni, friends, and employees set sail for the Bahamas in January to celebrate Clarion’s sesquicentennial.

CLARION UNIVERSITY
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11

GREEKS FOCUS
ON SERVICE,
DEVELOPMENT

GREEK
SPEAK:
Q&A WITH
TYLER AND JOSH

Tyler Kitzmiller (’14, ’16, MEd, ‘16) is coordinator of judicial affairs and mediation services.
Josh Domitrovich (’13, MBA ’15) is coordinator for career mentoring and internships.
They are co-advisors for Greek organizations.

With which fraternity were you involved as
a student at Clarion?
TYLER: Sigma Phi Epsilon (PA Upsilon Chapter)
JOSH: Phi Delta Theta

In the 1978 movie “Animal House,”
the brothers of Delta Tau Chi are
known for toga parties, pranks, bad
grades and general trouble making. In
2001, “Legally Blonde” kept alive the
image of sorority girls being pretty,
rich and lacking in substance.
While the members of Clarion’s
Greek organizations do like to have
fun, fraternities and sororities have
evolved into groups that do less
partying, more studying; less pranking,
more serving; less philandering,
more philanthropy.

So far this year, sororities Delta Phi
Epsilon, Delta Zeta, Phi Sigma Sigma,
and Sigma Sigma Sigma, and fraternities Sigma Phi Epsilon and Phi Delta
Theta collectively have given nearly
4,500 hours of service and have raised
almost $7,000 for various
organizations. Their philanthropic
interests range from fund-raising to
fighting cancer to being an instrumental part of collecting food to restock
area food pantries.

The Greek organizations promote
academic excellence with minimum
GPA requirements. The average GPA
for members of fraternities and
sororities is 3.221, higher than the
3.044 average for the general student
body. Study hours are mandated.
In short, association with a Greek
organization is no longer merely a
social outlet, but also a path to
leadership and self-development.

Calling all Greek alumni! Enjoy food, drinks and music as you reconnect with
old friends at our first Greek Reunion! All Clarion Greek social organizations
are welcome – we hope to CU there!
JUNE 9 - 6 P.M. - GEMMELL MPR
www.clarion.edu/alumniweekend

Greek organizations have changed
since they were established, but the
Greek Sing tradition continues.

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Before joining your fraternity, what was your
impression of fraternities as a whole?
TYLER: Once I started attending Clarion, I heard about the
common stereotypes that people tend to get from the
movies and what they see in the news, but that was not
what I saw when I started looking at SigEp.
JOSH: Sadly, my initial impression of fraternities was what
you see in movies, and that couldn’t have been further from
the truth at Clarion.
What factored into your decision to choose
your particular fraternity?
TYLER: I felt like I was part of SigEp before I ever joined. The
brothers invited me to attend different events. They talked
to me about great leadership opportunities I could take
advantage of as a member, but it was really about finding
an organization that helped make Clarion feel like a home
away from home.
JOSH: Phi Delta Theta’s core values of friendship, sound
learning and rectitude resonated with me. The people it
attracted were the kind of people I wanted to become. I
wanted to surround myself with people who shared my
vision of success and would motivate, push and guide me to
reach my goals. I found that with Phi Delta Theta.
What experiences did you have with your fraternity that
helped to shape your Clarion years?
TYLER: My experiences with SigEp opened me up to other
opportunities on campus. By the time I graduated, I had
many new connections with faculty/staff members who
worked with SigEp. These connections led me to become
involved in other organizations such as Student Senate
and also helped me get an on-campus job during graduate
school, which led to my current position at Clarion
University.
JOSH: Phi Delta Theta was the first organization I joined
at Clarion, and it was the key that opened doors of endless opportunity. PDT led to my first on-campus job as an

orientation leader. That lasted three years and ended with
a graduate assistantship offer while I pursued my MBA. It
helped lead to my involvement with 10 clubs and
organizations. One of the most impactful was service as vice
president of Student Senate.
How do students benefit from affiliation with a
Greek organization?
TYLER: Joining a Greek organization can benefit students
from simply giving them a group of friends on whom they
can always rely, to providing immeasurable leadership and
development opportunities.
JOSH: Greek affiliation provides opportunity for personal,
professional and academic development. Many national
Greek affiliations hold leadership conferences for members.
Also, Greek organizations are required to maintain a certain
GPA.
How does the campus benefit from Greek organizations?
TYLER: The campus benefits by having a group of organizations that are dedicated to developing students into
individuals who understand the importance of values and
principles.
JOSH: Fraternities and sororities provide the campus community with philanthropic and service projects/events. They
host events open to the entire student population with
guest speakers that touch on various real world topics.
How does the local community benefit?
TYLER: One of the annual service projects with which the
Greeks assist is the Food Stock that is done in conjunction
with Autumn Leaf Festival. Greek brothers and sisters place
information in Food Stock bags and deliver them in town.
They also assist with pickup of the food, which goes to
stock up local food banks.
JOSH: Each Greek organization has a national philanthropy
that they support, but Clarion goes a step further and
reaches out to the local community by holding special
fund raising events, assisting in food drives or participating
in the university’s annual Community Service Day.
In April, the Greek community raised over $1,500 to support
the Hillman Cancer Center during the annual Greek Week
and Greek Sing Event.
CLARION UNIVERSITY
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Fraternities and sororities participated in
their annual Greek Week events in late April.
Over the course of two weeks the Greeks
participated in 10 events, challenging them
physically and mentally. Events were
designed to highlight and support
philanthropic efforts and Greek unity.

ZTA

Greek Sing concluded the week with a
90s theme formal song and informal dance.
Congratulations to Zeta Tau Alpha (left) and
Sigma Chi (below) for winning first place
overall, in their respective categories, at
Greek Sing.

France with
ZTA sisters.

When Jane
France (’71) was
in the first
semester of her
sophomore year,
she made a decision that would
impact not only
the remainder
of her time at
Clarion, but the
rest of her life.
She joined Zeta Tau Alpha.
“Back in the day, we didn’t have
social media, we didn’t have cell
phones. Everyone was thrown in
together freshman year. We lived at
Forest Manor – men on one side,
women on the other, and the cafeteria
in between,” France said. “Most of the
students at the time were education
majors. I was not. (Joining a sorority)
was a way to connect with people.”
Many sororities were active on
campus at the time, but France chose
ZTA because a good friend from high
school with whom she roomed during
her freshman year at Clarion, along
with some other acquaintances, were
pledging that sorority.

14

Having that common group of
friends shaped France’s college years.
The bond was such that the friendships, like biological sisterhoods, have
lasted throughout her adulthood. Although the time between college and
now has been filled with the busyness
of career and family for the ZTA sisters,
France said they’re now at retirement
age and their children are grown, and
the sisters are reconnecting.

“I connected with the girls at the
Clarion chapter instantly, and, after
doing some research, I knew it was for
me,” she said.
Through ZTA, Creighton has thrived.
“Being involved in Greek life has
allowed me to meet so many different
people, not just in my sorority, but in
Greek life as a whole. It has allowed me
to grow as a person and a leader.”

“I read in the paper that a sorority sister’s husband had died, and I
sent her a card,” France said. “Another
sorority sister sent her a card, too. The
three of us got together for lunch.”
That was a year ago. The women
have continued to reach out to
other sisters.

Affiliated activities, including the
Greek Sing and Greek Olympics, were
what guided her socially.

“We had a Christmas get-together
in December. People came from Erie,
Dubois, Pittsburgh – there were 18 of
us,” she said. “It’s a nice groove we’re
getting into.”

“Some fraternities connected with
certain sororities. Some would say we
were the studious group,” France said.
“One of my older sorority sisters kept
track of (Greek organizations’) GPAs.
We had a really high GPA.”

Many of the ZTA sisters are
planning to attend Clarion’s Alumni
Weekend June 8-10, and they’re
excited to again live in student
housing, France said – without having
to share bathrooms this time.

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ZTA NOW
Connections are precisely what
attracted Alyssa Creighton to become
a ZTA.

Creighton looks forward to events
each semester that bring back
alumnae such as France. Such events
have helped her to network, locally and
nationally.
“My favorite thing about ZTA is the
diversity among our sisters,” she said.
“Every sister is different and unique,
and they have truly opened my eyes to
different perceptions of the world.”
ZTA’s philanthropy also appeals to the
senior nursing major.
“The philanthropy of ZTA is breast
cancer education and awareness. At
Clarion University, our biggest
fundraising event is Pink Week, which
takes place in October. It is a weeklong
series of events in which all
proceeds benefit breast cancer
education and awareness,” Creighton
said. “As a future nurse, helping to
raise money for this cause is incredibly
important and special to me.”

MALCOLM
LEWIS-THOMPSON

became interested in Sigma Chi after
learning about it through friends and
acquaintances who were brothers, but
the fraternity stood out for another
very personal reason.
“Their philanthropy is very special
to my heart. I lost my mother to breast
cancer when I was in seventh grade, so
hearing that their national philanthropy
is Huntsman Cancer Institute and how
much money they raise to help find a
cure was amazing for me,” he said.

Lewis-Thompson also sought a
brotherhood, and he found it. Alumni
brothers are heavily involved in the
chapter.
The support, networking and
leadership development have shaped
the art major from the Northside of
Pittsburgh.
“Growing up I heard my dad talking
about remembering what resources I
have and to take care of the people in
my neighborhood,” Lewis-Thompson
said. “Since joining Sigma Chi, I have
taken on more responsibilities both
inside and outside of Greek life. I’ve
learned to be more vocal and voice my
opinion, and my passion for learning
has been ignited.”

(Malcolm Lewis-Thompson pictured third from right)

OMEGA PSI PHI
FRATERNITY INC.,
one of the National Pan-Hellenic Council
organizations, returned to Clarion homecoming
weekend. The Epsilon Kappa chapter of Omega
Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. was one of the first Divine
9 organizations to be chartered at Clarion.
Sophomore Thomas Young (center) is the only
Clarion student to be initiated this semester.
CLARION
CLARION UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE
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15

BROTHERHOOD of LEADERSHIP
Michael Carey (’92) can sum up
his Greek experience in one word:
Leadership.
When as a freshman, he showed
interest in joining Phi Sigma Kappa,
a senior brother told him, “Go be a
leader on campus, and we will
consider you next year.”

“I received a great education inside and outside the
halls of Marwick-Boyd and Becker Hall,” he said. “My
fraternity experience was equally as rewarding, thanks
to the many men – and little sisters – who instilled in
me and in others the value and accountability of being
a leader.”

Leadership, as promoted by Phi Sigma Kappa, wasn’t
just something that happened at the meetings.

He became president of Campbell
Hall Council and he joined the
fraternity in fall 1989, during his
sophomore year.

“Being a member of a fraternity meant you had to be
a leader on and off campus, 24/7. It also meant being of
service to others,” Carey said. “Phi Sigma Kappa
supported the local Big Brothers and Big Sisters.”

For Carey, who is director of alumni
initiatives for Delta Tau Delta National
Fraternity, being a brother of Phi
Sigma Kappa was an integral part of
his college education.

Other fraternities and sororities supported
different local and national charities, but “we all
assisted and supported each other,” he said.
“Thousands of dollars were raised, awareness and
understanding were elevated, and the good that we did
made us better students and, now, better
citizens of the world.”

Learning TO LEAD

Jon Catanzarita (’11) didn’t plan to
join a fraternity. His goals centered on
completing his BSBA and developing
as a leader. As his network started to
expand, he met a group of men whose
values aligned with his. Most were
members of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
“I started doing my research about
the mission, values and programs of
the fraternity and found it fit exactly
with my goals,” Catanzarita said.
He was invited to join Sigma Phi
Epsilon and quickly became a leader,
serving as president for about a year
and filling other executive roles. It was
a time of transition for the fraternity.
“Over the last 10 to 15 years the
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creating an environment for personal
development, leadership growth, and
focusing on the young men in the
chapter today and how we can best
help them perform for leadership
tomorrow,” he said.

ALPHA GAMMA PHI
The transition from focusing on
social activities to service activities
is no more evident than with Alpha
Gamma Phi, the first fraternity
established at Clarion University.
“The Gammas were made up of
athletes and socially active
members,” said Wayne Norris. “They
were serious about getting an
education, but they also wanted to
have a good time.”
Sometimes their penchant for
good times collided with the early
standards that the college espoused.
Their charter was revoked in 1974.

BROTHERHOOD
Outwardly, that was the image
of the Gammas, but there was more
than met the eye. “I was away from
home and on my own for the first
time in my life, so finding friends and
creating a sense of belonging was
essential for me,” Norris said.
“I am a firm believer in the total
college experience. Being socially
active then helped prepare most of
us for the real world,” Norris said. “I
gained a much better ability to
interact with people and had an
elevated level of confidence,
especially in the business world.”

PHILANTHROPY
Although the Gammas didn’t
formally exist after 1974, the brotherhood remained strong. In 1999,
former Gammas formed the Alpha
Gamma Phi Alumni Association.
“All members were invited to
join. We had members from the late
40s up to the last class of 1974,”
Norris said.
The Gammas host events, and
anyone from Clarion is invited to
attend. The events have evolved to
being about more than just a good
time, though.
“We have a scholarship fund
totaling almost $300,000 and have
awarded over 70 scholarships to
Clarion athletes, male or female,”
Norris said. That fund is still growing.
“We started the ‘Last
Gamma Standing’ drive to try to
reach $1 million before the last
Gamma passes.”

“THE GAMMA SPIRIT
WAS STRONG FROM 1930
TO 1974, AND IT’S STILL
STRONG TODAY,” NORRIS
SAID.

Catanzarita is business manager
for Antx, Inc., Austin, Texas, a remote
monitoring and controls company
that builds computer hardware and
provides cloud-based software for the
oil/gas, rental equipment, water and
wastewater industries.
He remains active in Sigma Phi
Epsilon, serving on the alumni board,
mentoring chapter members, helping
to bring resources to campus, and
engaging alumni to fund local
scholarship for members.

The Gammas of today gather during homecoming weekend.

AWARDS
Annually, Clarion University Alumni
Association presents Distinguished
Awards to people who embody the
categories of alumni, service, volunteer,
faculty and achievement. In addition to
Alpha Gamma Phi as a whole receiving
the Distinguished Volunteer award in
2010, many Gammas individually have
earned the distinction:

Guido Malacarne (’49),
Distinguished Alumni, 1980
John Mochnick (’32),
Distinguished Alumni, 1982
Dr. Lawrence A. Ianni (’52),
Distinguished Alumni, 1984
Dr. Ed Grejda (’57),
Distinguished Faculty, 1985
Frank Lignelli (’50),
Distinguished Service, 1986
Frank A. Palaggo (’52),
Distinguished Alumni, 1989
Dr. J. David Griffin (’67),
Distinguished Alumni, 1991
Carl McManamy (’63),
Distinguished Alumni, 1992
Al Jacks
Distinguished Service, 1997
Peter Mervosh (’53),
Distinguished Volunteer
Dr. Marlin E. Hartman (’59),
Distinguished Service, 2001
Wayne Norris (’65),
Distinguished Volunteer, 2002
Frank P. DeFina (’75),
Distinguished Alumni, 2003
Trueman Mills (’55),
Distinguished Service, 2007
Bo Garritano (’66),
Distinguished Volunteer, 2007
Maj. Gen. Pete Talleri (’79),
Distinguished Achievement, 2008
Jack Bertani (’61),
Distinguished Volunteer, 2013
CLARION UNIVERSITY
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IN CELEBRATION OF THE SESQUICENTENNIAL,

CLARION UNIVERSITY
IS TAKING A LOOK BACK AT ITS

150-YEAR HISTORY – 50 YEARS AT A TIME.
IN THIS ISSUE, WE CELEBRATE AND EXAMINE

THE YEARS 1917-67.
In order to fully understand the
beginning of this 50-year era, we must
take a look back by a couple of years
to the purchase of Clarion State
Normal School in 1915.

State System, including Clarion, were
marred by business scandals. These
scandals led the state legislature to
authorize the purchase of these
schools.

According to Samuel Farmerie’s
history in the 125th anniversary edition
of Clarion Magazine, several schools
that we now know as part of today’s

In addition to Clarion, scandals
marked Edinboro, Mansfield and
Slippery Rock, but the first school to
officially be purchased by the

commonwealth was West Chester
in 1913.

The Clarion Call reported that it
cost more than $100,000 to construct
Stevens Hall over the former
men’s dormitory.

Harvey Hall

Clarion was purchased in December
1915 with the state paying $20,000 to
satisfy stockholders. Another $49,653
was paid to satisfy debts.

THE GREAT DEPRESSION

WORLD WAR I
Pennsylvania Educational
Survey also identified needs at the
normal schools, including Clarion. Most
of the needs outlined were extensive
renovations to existing structures. Two
of the most notable changes brought
about as a result of the survey included
the construction of Stevens Hall and
Harvey Gymnasium.

According to Clarion’s
history, Dr. G.C.L. Reimer
was named principal in
1928, and Clarion became
Clarion State Teachers
College May 28, 1929.
He is responsible for changing courses
to the semester system in addition to
guiding the
institution through other challenges.

The building was named for
Thaddeus Stevens, a Gettysburg lawyer
and lawmaker who is considered the
father of the Pennsylvania Public
School law in 1834.

The Great Depression began with
the crash of the stock market on Black
Thursday, Oct. 24, 1929.
Farmerie wrote in his history that
“Education does not operate outside the pale of society, but rather is
influenced by and influences society.
The Depression had profound effects
on state appropriations and student
enrollment at Clarion.”
Before the Great Depression,
Clarion received a yearly allocation of
about $181,000 from the state. Once
the Depression was underway, Clarion
received $67,000 per year ­— a 63
percent cut, Farmerie reported.

According to Farmerie,
Stevens Hall became the new
training school, and Harvey
Gymnasium replaced the gymnasium
located under Hart Chapel.

The university weathered this
storm, but not without making some
significant changes. Some of the
changes included charging tuition for
the first time since 1901 and lowering
admission standards to attract more
students.
A rallying cry of “close the state
colleges” was heard from private
institutions and editorial columns alike.
Other allegations were lobbed against
the school, including that the buildings
were fire hazards.
Reimer fought all of these battles
and also managed to see to the
construction of Harvey Hall.

The Clarion Call reported that
Harvey Hall was constructed in 1932
at a cost of $85,000. It is named for
Frank Laird Harvey, a Clarion trustee
from 1911 to 1932.
Reimer retired Jan. 31, 1937,
leaving the role of president to
Dr. Donald Peirce, quickly followed
by Dr. Paul Gladstone Chandler.
Chandler served as
president for 33 years
and retire in 1960.
In his time as
president, Clarion recovered from the
Great Depression only to move into
World War II.

Stevens Hall

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WORLD WAR II

Davis hall
Before World War II, enrollment
improved and appropriations, while
not completely restored, received a
boost to $90,000. Also, another academic major gained popularity in 1937:
Clarion was designated as the library
science school for western
Pennsylvania.
Library science remains a popular
major to this day and boasts many
accreditations, including the American
Library Association.

According to Farmerie’s
history, the governor’s Public Works
Administration was created, which led
to a new laundry facility, Egbert Hall
and A.J. Davis Hall. Both of the halls
were built in 1938.
The Clarion Call reported that Egbert
cost $110,000 to construct and was
a men’s dormitory. It was named for
Walter R. Egbert, former dean of men
at Clarion.

Clarion University alumnus Floyd
Barger (’58) recalls living in Egbert
Hall as one of his fondest memories of
his time at Clarion. A small dormitory,
Barger remembers people gathering
around a piano in Egbert’s lounge,
singing songs they’d made up about
the faculty.
“Some were not very
complimentary to certain faculty
members,” he quipped. “They weren’t
meant in anger.”

Clarion University’s Facilities Master Plan reported that the beginning of World War II also brought the Selective Service
Act, which drastically influenced enrollment. To keep the school going, federally funded wartime training programs were
offered on campus. Between 1942 and 1943, Air Force cadets completed a four-month airplane and glider pilot training.
“The government paid well for the training received by cadets. This carried us through those very strenuous financial
times, and 19 Clarion girls found mates from among the trainees,” Chandler was quoted as saying in Farmerie’s history.

A.J. Davis Hall was named for the
first president of Clarion, and the
construction cost $173,000.

Egbert Hall
Art professor Hazel
Sandford forged a close
relationship with
students, particularly the
ones who left Clarion to
fight in World War II. The
photos and letters on the
following pages are from
Sandford’s scrapbook,
graciously donated to
the Clarion University
archives.

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SANDFORD’S SCRAPBOOK INCLUDED LETTERS FROM SOLDIERS TRAINED AT CLARION
AND PHOTOS OF THE TRAINING.

POST WAR REBOUND
After the war, the GI Bill brought the enrollment
numbers back up to 723 in 1949.
Another factor may have influenced enrollment. In 1948,
the school gained accreditation by the Middle States
Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
This accreditation has been continually renewed to the
present day.
“The accreditation was vital because it implied that
Clarion’s course offerings were now of collegiate quality in
name as well as in fact,” Farmerie’s history stated.
The 1950s also meant successful athletic teams.
According to Farmerie, Clarion boasted winning basketball
and football teams.

The next building on
Clarion’s campus was Givan
Hall, named for Lorena M.
Givan, another early Clarion
educator. The Clarion Call
reported that Givan Hall was
constructed in 1960 at a price
tag of $791,000.
Paul Chandler’s time also
included the Korean War,
which brought veterans to
the school when it was over.
Chandler is remembered as an involved president who
could be seen on campus among the students.
Barger remembered that Chandler and his wife had
dinner every night in the dining hall, then located in
Becht Hall.

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As the college gained more students, it led to the 1951
construction of Ballentine Hall, named for John Ballentine,
an early Clarion educator and administrator.
The Clarion Call reported the cost to build the men’s
dormitory to be $327,000.
The 1950s were a time of growth not only for the
school, but also for the town, which developed a reason
to celebrate every fall. The first Autumn Leaf Festival took
place in the fall of 1953, and the festival coincided with
Clarion State Teachers College’s homecoming. The festival
is now a cherished event that lasts nine days and continues
to include the university’s homecoming, as well as
university-sponsored cultural events.

“He was quite a southern
gentleman,” Barger said
of Chandler.
Upon his retirement in
September 1960, the school
was stable and growing,
despite the world events
that affected the school
during his presidency.
The school received a
new name the same year
Chandler retired.
On Jan. 8, 1960, a legislative act was passed that gave
the State System schools the right to be renamed from
State Teachers Colleges to State Colleges, and Clarion State
College was born.

IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME FOR ANOTHER CAMPUS.
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CLARION UNIVERSITY
— VENANGO
Clarion’s master plan noted that partnerships in the
private sector led to the creation of Venango campus in Oil
City. It officially opened in fall 1961 with 131 students.
In a presentation for the second annual Community
History Days, Dr. Christopher Reber, former executive dean
of Venango, spoke about the formation of Venango campus.
“It began in 1960, when a group of community leaders
envisioned the need for a higher education presence in
Venango County and advocated the creation of what was to
become Clarion University — Venango campus,” Reber said.
The request to start a branch campus was approved in 1961.
“This was the first time permission had been granted to
any present-day State System university to create a branch
campus, and the Venango campus remains today the oldest
regional campus in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher
Education,” Reber said.

The Oil City Chamber of Commerce led a regional campaign to raise $350,000 to obtain land and construct its first
building. “Within three months, more than $382,000 had
been pledged by nearly 1,800 individuals, clubs and
organizations, and building of what was then often referred
to in the press as the college annex, commenced,” Reber
said. There were 132 students enrolled for the 1961-62
academic year, and students took classes in the Oil City
Trust Building. The first building completed on Venango
campus was Richard C. Frame Hall in January 1962.
The Clarion Call confirmed that Frame Hall was originally
known as the Venango Campus Building and was financed
through a community drive of about $350,000.
According to Venango’s history, there were 63 students in
the first graduating class, May 26, 1963.
After Frame Hall, a new library and administration
building, totaling $919,000, would be constructed on the
main campus. It was renamed Rena M. Carlson Library in
1964-65 after former Clarion librarian Rena Carlson.

“THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME PERMISSION HAD BEEN
GRANTED TO ANY PRESENT-DAY STATE SYSTEM
UNIVERSITY TO CREATE A BRANCH CAMPUS, AND
THE VENANGO CAMPUS REMAINS TODAY THE
OLDEST REGIONAL CAMPUS IN PENNSYLVANIA’S
STATE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION,” REBER SAID.

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GROWTH UNDER
GEMMELL
Dr. James Gemmell began his tenure at an
exciting time, when the student body was
growing and the commonwealth was
supportive of state schools, Farmerie noted in
his history.
Keeping up with the growing student population
presented its challenges. One such challenge came from the
students themselves, when they were dissatisfied with the
food at the cafeteria in 1960. Clarion University
graduate Elisabeth Fulmer (’64, ’80, ’97) recalls biting into
her roll one day, only to discover it was moldy.

Fulmer said there many other reports of students who
weren’t happy with the food. Fulmer said 90 percent of the
student body didn’t eat at the cafeteria one day, and she
remembers Gemmell for not interfering with the protest.
“He let the students handle it, and I thought that was
pretty amazing, even then,” Fulmer said.
After the protest, Gemmell addressed the issues of the
cafeteria food.

ABOVE, FOUNDERS HALL STILL STANDS, BUT IS NO LONGER NICKNAMED SCIENCE HALL. IT’S ALSO NO LONGER A BOYS’
CLUB IN THE SCIENCES. ON THE OPPOSITE PAGE, GRUNENWALD CENTER FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IS
STATE-OF-THE-ART BUT NOT JUST IN ITS FACILITIES. WOMEN HAVE A STRONG PRESENCE IN THE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY,
ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS FIELDS WITH 347 ENROLLED IN THOSE PROGRAMS TODAY. THE NUMBER OF FEMALES
ENROLLED IN HEALTH-RELATED PROGRAMS IS 1,204.

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TODAY, CLARION UNIVERSITY
SITS ON 201 ACRES BETWEEN TWO CAMPUSES,
WITH 50 BUILDINGS.
In addition to helping the student body in the cafeteria,
Gemmell couldn’t ignore the fact that the number of
students was growing.
When Gemmell began in 1960, there were about 1,100
students and 10 buildings, Farmerie reported. By the time
he left the university in 1976, there were 5,000 students
and 25 buildings.
The university needed more buildings and space – but it
needed the town’s support in order to acquire the land, and
that meant getting the townspeople on board with the idea
of additional land being off the tax rolls.

“During these years, and to some extent down to the
present, the institution has been diligent in its efforts to fully
educate the public on the merits of an institution of higher
education. The college was a distinct asset to the
community, and the concept was constantly being
reinforced,” Farmerie wrote.
Today, Clarion University sits on 201 acres between two
campuses, with 50 buildings. Clarion’s direct impact on the
Pennsylvania economy is $160.9 million.

FOR THE NEXT ISSUE, WE’LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE
CONTINUING RISE OF THE STUDENT POPULATION
AS WELL AS MODERN-DAY CHALLENGES.
CLARION UNIVERSITY
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27

A
FORCE

When Jacob Beckey turns 21 in July, he will be in the
midst of a physics research internship with the Quantum
Information Science group at Oak Ridge National Lab, Oak
Ridge, Tennessee.
He will already have graduated from Clarion University
with two bachelor’s degrees – one in physics and one in
math – that he completed in three years. With a 3.97 GPA.
When he completes the internship in August, he’ll
have just a few weeks to rest before jetting off to London
for orientation for the Fulbright program, through which
Beckey will spend a year at University of Birmingham
(England). There he will earn a Master of Research degree
in quantum technology.

in
MOTION

He’ll return to the United States in July 2019, only to
pack up and head to University of Colorado, Boulder, in
the fall, where he will be a first-year graduate student, his
tuition and research fully funded by the National Science

Foundation’s Graduate Research
Fellowship Program.
“I feel incredibly grateful,” Beckey
said. He calls it good luck, but he
began to prepare for his post-baccalaureate work when he was a
sophomore at Freedom Area High
School.
“As a freshman in high school, I
was not a good student,” he said. “I
wanted to be an artist. I didn’t apply
myself and had a 2.6 GPA.”
That changed the following year
when he fell in love – with physics.
“My physics teacher, Dr. Brian
Wargo, was a huge influence. He was
getting his PhD, and he helped me see
the high quality of life that someone
has as a scientist. I was super
motivated, because I knew what I

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wanted to do. The rest of (high school),
I had a 4.0,” Beckey said. “I started
looking in 10th grade at what you can
do in physics. I started looking at how
to get into grad school; I wanted to
prepare myself way ahead so I knew
what to do as an undergrad.”
An integral part of his preparation
was choosing where he would do his
undergraduate work. Wargo had good
advice and laid out the pros and cons
of a research university versus a
teaching university.
“He said that it’s easy to get lost in
the shuffle at a large research
university, that it’s tough to get
research there, because everyone
wants to do research. And it would put
me in debt,” Beckey said. “‘Or,’” Beckey
remembers Wargo telling him, “’You
can go to a state school that offers
the freedom to study in an environ-

ment that’s not cutthroat, with more
individualized instruction and a more
welcoming atmosphere.’”
The Pennsylvania State System of
Higher Education’s Board of Governors
offers tuition waivers based on high
school students’ SAT scores. Beckey
worked to achieve a 1500/1600 on the
SAT, qualifying him for a full tuition
scholarship. In addition to this Board of
Governors funding, he researched the
availability of scholarships at Clarion
and applied to as many as possible.
“I chose Clarion for cost, proximity
to home, and the one-on-one instruction I assumed I’d get and did get,” he
said. He came to campus armed with
a spreadsheet that detailed his plan to
earn two degrees in three years.
“I had to take individualized
instruction over the summer for higher
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29

level math courses,” Beckey said. He
presented his spreadsheet to Dr. Jon
Beal, math professor, who, with Dr.
Carey Childers, Dr. Dana Madison, and
Dr. Kate Overmoyer, helped him realize his goal.
Also upon arrival at Clarion
University, Beckey introduced
himself to physics professors Dr.
Sharon Montgomery, Dr. Chunfei Li
and Dr. Vasudeva Aravind and said he
would love to work with them.
During his freshman year, Beckey
was a physics education research assistant for Aravind. His project,
“First-order Error Corrections in
Introductory Physics Lab,” was also
the topic of a 10-minute talk he gave

at the March 2016 meeting of
American Physical Society.
“It was helpful to get experience as
a freshman.”
The following summer,
Montgomery invited him to join her
at McDonald Observatory in the Davis
Mountains of southwest Texas, where
she had reserved time on a historic
telescope. The time lined up with the
Perseid meteor shower.
“It’s one of the darkest places in
the United States. It’s so dark that
if I stepped outside of the lodge, I
couldn’t see my feet,” Beckey said.

The weather was cloudy, but they
had a window to the sky and saw 6070 meteors an hour.
In addition to using the 2.1m
telescope, Beckey helped operate
tracking software; collected flat, bias
and comparison spectra; and assisted
with data reduction.
Along for the run was
Montgomery’s research collaborator
from UC Berkeley.
“He’s British, and he’s hilarious.
I was able to talk about experiences
with two scientists,” he said.
“For years, I’ve just wanted to be a
scientist; I felt for a short time
that I was.”

The seven-night observing run
resulted in his fall 2016 research
project, “Mapping the Heiles Supershell
GSH 90-28-17,” which he presented in
January 2017 at American Astronomical Society’s 229th Meeting.
Beckey’s journey to University of
Birmingham next fall will be his second
trip there. Last summer, he was an
international REU student in
quantum optics. He researched
“Simulation of Ponderomotive
Squeezed Light in Laser
Interferometers,” which entailed
working within Birmingham’s
gravitational-wave group to model a
method of surpassing the standard
quantum limit of an interferometer. He
presented that research in January
at American Astronomical Society’s
231st Meeting.
At University of Birmingham,
Beckey worked with Dr. Haixing Miao
and Dr. Andreas Freise, who encouraged him to return for further work
through the Fulbright program and
provided a letter of recommendation.
Back in Clarion, he worked with Dr.
Bill Naugle to prepare and submit his
Fulbright application. He was notified
of the award in mid April.

Dr. Sharon Montgomery
approaches McDonald
Observatory.

In part, his congratulatory letter
from The J. William Fulbright Foreign
Scholarship Board noted that the
Fulbright is highly competitive and
highly selective; additionally, “being
selected as an awardee for the United
Kingdom is phenomenal since there
are a very limited number of awards
for this country and many hundreds
of applicants.”
“I knew going in that it was
competitive,” Beckey said. He wasn’t
deterred, but the credentials of other
applicants didn’t go unnoticed.

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“I saw the credentials that people
from large schools have. There are
entire offices at places like Harvard

The historic 2.1m telescope
Beckey used at the observatory
that help students apply for Fulbright
and Rhodes scholarships,” he said. “I
worked with Dr. Naugle one-on-one.
For it to work out feels really great.”
When Beckey’s PhD is complete, he
plans to teach. “It gives me joy to help
people understand what I’m passionate
about. At the same time, it is alluring
to do research that’s useful to other
scientists. In a perfect world, I will be
able to do both.”
Beckey would be happy to return
to Clarion as a professor.

“Every year, I go back to
Freedom Area High School and speak
at Dr. Wargo’s conference. I tell them
all about the great things at Clarion,”
Beckey said. “If you have the work
ethic, you can do the same things
at Clarion as you can at Pitt or Penn
State. The individualized attention
at Clarion and the environment is
perhaps even more beneficial than
name recognition you get at a
larger institution.”
Despite his demanding schedule,
Beckey makes time for recreation and
fitness. He enjoys weight lifting, rock
climbing and hiking.
CLARION UNIVERSITY
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DAN PAYNE

KEN NELLIS

LISA MCADOO

JOHN HUGHES

LAURIE CARTER

SPORTS ROUNDUP

5

GOLDEN
EAGLE
ALUMNI
JOIN SPORTS HALL OF FAME

The Clarion University Sports Hall of Fame Committee inducted five
new members as the 2018 Hall of Fame Class:

Laurie Carter (1981-84; women's track);
John Hughes (1982-85; football);
Lisa McAdoo (1985-88; women's basketball);
Ken Nellis (1982-86; wrestling/1998-2006; wrestling head coach);
Dan Payne (1991-95; wrestling).
"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the members of
the Hall of Fame Class of 2018,” said Dr. Wendy Snodgrass, athletic
director. “Their contributions to the history and legacy of Golden Eagles
athletics cannot be overstated."
Nor can the contributions be overstated of the 1989 inaugural Hall
of Fame class and every athlete inducted since. This year’s ceremony
marked the 30th class, and to celebrate, 1989 inductees Jim Alcorn
(football), Al Jacks (football coach), Wade Schalles (wrestling) and Pete
Vuckovich (baseball) returned, along with 1990 inductee Reggie Wells
(basketball), 2003 inductee Corissa “Mona” (Gaffney) Brosier (women’s
basketball), and 2006 inductee Christina (Tillotson) Sheets (swimming).

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
SETS PERSONAL BESTS,
SCHOOL RECORDS
Under the direction of second year Head Coach Ben Bevevino, the women’s
track and field team finished the 2017-2018 indoor schedule with a number
of personal bests and multiple school records broken along the way.
Freshman Style Henry set the bar high in her rookie campaign, breaking
the school record in the 60-meter dash while competing at the PSAC Championships.
Henry set that record of 7.78 seconds in the preliminary run and nearly beat that mark
in the finals, finishing in 7.79 seconds to place fifth. That mark was the 10th best in the
NCAA Atlantic Region this season.
Also qualifying for PSAC championships was Kari Steuer, who finished eighth in the
shot put. Katie Brest also qualified for the shot put and weight throw, finishing 13th and
15th, respectively. Summer Murray finished just behind Brest in the weight throw,
finishing 19th at 13.64 meters.

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Katie Brest

Rounding out the PSAC qualifiers was Kayce Bobnar who competed in the
5,000-meter run, finishing with a time of 19:45.83. Bobnar set a new personal
best in the one-mile run this season with a team best time of 5:31.93.
Earlier in the season, Brest broke a school record in the weight throw,
tossing the implement a distance of 14.38 meters at the Youngstown State MidMajor invite. Her record throw bested teammate Summer Murray who
previously set the top mark a season ago.
The Golden Eagles graduate just eight seniors and will return plenty of young
talent for the 2018-2019 indoor season.

ATHLETES SET
Croskey

Style Henry

Kayce Bobnar

record FOR PERFORMANCE IN THE classroom
Student-athletes set another record for academic excellence in 2018, with
181 Golden Eagles – 51 percent of the student-athlete population – earning
scholar-athlete accolades at the annual Bob Carlson Scholar-Athlete Luncheon.
To be designated a scholar-athlete, student-athletes must earn a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher; attain a 3.2 GPA or higher in the previous year’s
spring and this year’s fall semesters; or, as a freshman or first-year transfer
student, achieve a 3.2 GPA in the fall semester.
In addition to the announcement of this year's scholar-athletes, director of
athletics Dr. Wendy Snodgrass presented:

As the Sports Hall of Fame celebrates its 30th anniversary,
Clarion University is also celebrating its sesquicentennial in the 2017-18
year, honoring 150 years of educating students.

• The Carlson Cup, given annually to the team with the
most-improved team GPA, to the wrestling team, coached
by Keith Ferraro.

Carlson Cup-winning wrestling team

32

SPORTS ROUNDUP

• The Special Achievement Award to members of the
maintenance staff, especially those who played a part in
moving the athletics department and coaching offices out
of Tippin Gymnasium in preparation for the renovation proj
ect. The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, represented
by Danielle Stoner, presented the Faculty of the Year award
to Joseph Croskey.
CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

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SPORTS ROUNDUP

Stellar

NEW FACES EMERGE AS

GRUMLEY RECORDS
SENIOR YEAR
TO LEAD GOLDEN EAGLES

Leaders

FOR WOMEN’S
BASKETBALL

SENIOR GUARD CAMERON GRUMLEY’S STELLAR
SENIOR YEAR HIGHLIGHTED THE 2017-2018
CLARION MEN’S BASKETBALL SEASON.
The Johnsonburg native became the
30th player in school history to record
1,000 career points. He achieved that
feat in front of the home crowd in
Tippin Gymnasium Jan. 13 against
Gannon University.
Grumley led the Golden Eagles with
17.9 points per game, which helped him
earn a spot on the All-Conference 2nd
team. The senior guard also set a new
career high with 30 points in a Jan. 8
game against Mercyhurst.
Other highlights include the breakout performance of freshman guard Mason Mraz. A native of New Castle, Mraz
netted 11.5 points per game to go along
with a team best 5.9 rebounds per game.
During the regular season, Mraz
earned PSAC West Freshman of the
Week on seven different occasions, most
among PSAC rookies.

Freshmen Khari Williams and Maqi
Watson became regulars in the starting
lineup for Head Coach Marcess Williams.
No other team in the conference started
three freshmen, a positive sign for the
future as a trio of young players gained
valuable experience during a rebuilding
year for the Golden Eagles.
Williams and Watson also joined
Mraz in earning PSAC West Freshman of
the Week honors, giving Clarion three
players to earn the distinction, the most
among PSAC teams.

Yndiah Bobo

Grumley’s departure will
undoubtedly leave a big hole to fill,
but Coach Williams will have a strong
group of young and experienced players
returning in 2018-2019.

Cam Grumley

Yasmin Lewis

Even before the senior-laden
squad of 2016-17 hung up their sneakers and traded in their jerseys for caps
and gowns, it seemed apparent that
the subsequent season was going to
be a transition year for the Golden
Eagles women’s basketball program.
After losing three starters from a year
before, new faces were needed to step
up in 2017-18.
Throw in a spate of injuries to
some of those new faces, as well as
some returning ones, and the challenges grew even greater. Adversity often
reveals character, and here’s betting
the Golden Eagles will be better for it.
Senior guard Amesha Harden-Pullium paced the Golden Eagles offense
in 2017-2018, averaging 14.6 points
per game, starting all 28 contests
for Clarion. Harden-Pullium netted a
career-high 26 points Jan. 8 against
Mercyhurst, and following the season
was named 2nd Team All-PSAC West.

Mason Mraz

34

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SPORTS ROUNDUP

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Khari Williams

Maqi Watson

Earlier in the season, the Golden
Eagles traveled to Robert Morris for an
exhibition matchup against the Division
I Colonials. Clarion nearly pulled off
the upset with a furious fourth quarter

comeback, outscoring the Colonials 256, but ultimately falling 67-60.
This season was about new faces,
too, including the emergence of
freshmen Yasmin Lewis and Yndiah
Bobo. Lewis started 23 of 28 games,
averaging 5.1 points per game along
with a team best 6.7 rebounds per
game. Lewis had a monster game with
a career-high 18 points and 10
rebounds in a big PSAC win over
Pitt-Johnstown, and had seven games
of double-digit rebounds.
Bobo appeared in 15 games and
made 11 starts before suffering a
season-ending injury. The freshman
guard was averaging 9.1 points per
game while playing nearly 30 minutes
a night before her injury.
Sophomore center Tracy Wiehe
proved to be a tough matchup for
teams throughout the league, as she
recorded 8.9 points per game, third
most on the team. Wiehe set a career
high with 23 points at East Stroudsburg early in the season and recorded
double-digit scoring efforts in 12
games this season.

Amesha Harden-Pulium
A pair of juniors, Jordan Bekelja
and Taylor Moltz, were also lineup
regulars for Head Coach Jana Ashley.
Bekelja, the team leader in assists with
86, also scored 8.5 points per game,
making 26 starts and appearing in all
28 games. Moltz led the Golden Eagles
in three-point percentage, finishing
second on the team with 57 three point
baskets made.
Freshman Neely Whitehead and
senior Marina Kelly both saw significant
minutes down the stretch for Clarion,
with Kelly making six starts and appearing in 26 of 28 games.
The Golden Eagles recorded
impressive PSAC victories over
Shippensburg (65-69) and
Pitt-Johnstown (60-44), during the
2017-2018 campaign.
Head Coach Jana Ashley will return
an experienced squad in 2018-2019, as
Harden-Pullium and Kelly are the only
two lineup regulars who will depart
due to graduation.

CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

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SPORTS ROUNDUP

WRESTLING

UNDER

Ferraro, WRESTLING CONTINUES
STEADY CLIMB

More team wins means improved
depth across the lineup, and it was
clear from the outset that the Golden
Eagles boasted a deeper team than in
previous years. All told, Clarion sent
four competitors to the NCAA Division
I Championships in Cleveland, the most
Golden Eagles to represent at the Big
Dance since an identical number went
in 2012.
Leading the charge was junior
Brock Zacherl, a three-time NCAA
qualifier and a consensus nationallyranked wrestler at 141 pounds since the
beginning of the season. He started
his year with a bang when he won the
Clarion Open, punctuating the event
with a win over Penn State freshman
and 2018 All-American Nick Lee. In
fact, Zacherl defeated three future
All-Americans over the course of the
season, including Eastern Michigan’s
Sa’Derian Perry and Nebraska’s Chad
Red. Zacherl started the year on a
27-match win streak to earn a sevenseed at NCAA’s, where he advanced
to the quarterfinals before falling to
Missouri’s Jaydin Eierman. With another year of experience under his belt,
Zacherl will have one more opportunity
to make the podium before his college
days are done.

Dustin Conti

The ascension of the Golden Eagles wrestling program under head coach
Keith Ferraro has been steady, starting with a pair of NCAA qualifiers in 2016 and
picking up steam from there. After maintaining the program’s momentum with two
more NCAA qualifiers in 2017, the Golden Eagles took several major leaps in 2018,
breathing life into the program and putting it back on the minds of
wrestling fans across the country.

Head Coach
Keith Ferraro

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He was not alone in reaching the
big event in Cleveland, though, as Greg
Bulsak (184), Dustin Conti (197) and
Taylor Ortz (149) all qualified for the
NCAA Championships as well, with
Brock Zacherl

SPORTS ROUNDUP

WRESTLING

Taylor Ortz

each competitor enjoying his own
unique journey. A redshirt senior in his
final season in the Blue and Gold, Conti
made NCAA’s after falling just one win
short in each of the previous two seasons. He punched his ticket by winning
the 197-pound title at the 2018 EWL
Championships, beating Rider’s Ethan
Laird to become Clarion’s first
conference champion at the weight
since Eric Mausser in 2002.
On the other end of the eligibility
spectrum, Bulsak and Ortz got their
first taste of the national championships as redshirt freshmen, giving them

the opportunity to return in the future.
Bulsak earned an automatic bid to the
NCAA Championships after finishing
in second place at the EWL Championships, locking up his berth with a
last-second victory over Bloomsburg’s
Trevor Allard in the last match of the
night. Ortz took second place at EWL’s
at 149 pounds to eventual NCAA
runner-up Ronnie Perry, but his strong
finish down the stretch secured an
at-large bid to the tournament, making
him the first wild card selection from
Clarion since 2014.

Greg Bulsak

Right off the bat, Golden Eagles wrestling devotees were treated to
a 10-7 overall record and an 4-2 mark in Eastern Wrestling League competition, marking the first time the Golden Eagles posted a team winning
record in 15 years. Dual match wins included a road win over Pittsburgh –
the first since 1994 – and an 18-17 comeback win over
21st-ranked Rider, when true freshman Toby Cahill pinned the Broncs’
Mauro Correnti in the final match of the night.
CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

37

SPORTS ROUNDUP

SPORTS ROUNDUP

Swimmers
Christina Sather

HAVE STRONG
SEASON

The Golden Eagles swimming and diving teams
continued their return to prominence in 2017-18, with the
swimmers taking a leap forward while the divers maintained their national dominance with another standout
performance. The energetic, demanding coaching staff
and the crop of talented athletes returning next year will
ensure that 2018 was not a flash in the pan.
Maybe the biggest addition in 2017-18 was not really
an addition at all, but a re-titling. After spending seven
years as an assistant coach and the second half of
2016-17 as interim head coach, the university officially
named Bree Kelley the head coach at the conclusion of
the season. A 12-time Division II All-American at Clarion
from 2003-06, Kelley sees the success of the program as
not just a professional challenge, but part of her legacy
as a Golden Eagle.
“I have high expectations, and I am sure our swimmers will tell you that,” Kelley said. “When I was an athlete, we won championships twice in my four years, and
finished second in the others. Our proud alumni expect
that from this program.”
Head Coach Bree Kelley

38

MAINTAIN NATIONAL
DOMINANCE

Cary Johns

While the swimmers continued to grow and climb,
the divers, under the direction of Dave Hrovat, continued
to dominate at the national level. In his 28th year as the
diving mentor for the Golden Eagles, Hrovat once again
produced national champions and All-Americans at a
level unmatched by the rest of the country.
Summer Dacheux

Facing improved competition from across the
conference this year, the Golden Eagles men’s swimmers took fourth in the league, while the women’s team
secured a fifth-place finish. Those final standings, while
identical to the year before, do not tell the whole story of
the jumps the teams made in 2017-18.
This year the men’s team featured three conference
champions, Ben Spencer, Joe Folz and the 800 Free
Relay Team, the last of which was Clarion’s first relay
champion in many years and came within fractions of a
second of breaking a 25-year program record. Spencer
was on the bubble for one of the final spots in the NCAA
Championships and finishes his Clarion career having set
or broken a number of records over the last two seasons.
On the women’s side, Summer Dacheux won the 100
Back at PSAC Championships for the second straight
year, and Letizia Collini was the conference’s Champion
Scholar with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Freshman Mary Clare
Smith enjoyed her introduction to the conference championships with a third-place finish in the 1,650 Free while
senior Alexis Lopez posted top-five finishes in the 50 and
100 Free events.

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Divers

On the women’s side, junior Christina Sather was
named the College Swimming Coaches Association of
America National Diver of the Year after winning the
national championship in the 1-meter dive and finishing
third in the 3-meter dive at the 2018 NCAA Division II
championships. Teammate Emma Kehn added another
All-American plaque to her shelf, finishing as runner-up
in the 3-meter dive and as an All-America Honorable
Mention in the 1-meter dive.

Christina Sather

THE CSCAA NAMED HROVAT AS
THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S COACH
OF THE YEAR FOR THE 14TH TIME,
MAKING IT 25 TOTAL (14 WOMEN,
11 MEN) NATIONAL COACH OF THE
YEAR HONORS FOR HROVAT.
On the men’s side, Hrovat sent two newcomers to
the NCAA Championships, with Cary Johns saving his
best performances of the year for the biggest stage.
The junior won his first career All-American honor in the
1-meter dive, finishing in eighth place nationally in a field
that Hrovat described as the deepest in all his years of
coaching. He was also an All-America Honorable Mention
in the 3-meter dive with a ninth-place finish.

Cary Johns
CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

39

ALUMNI NOTES Spring 2018

A look back…

1951

Gardner Wolfe is retired from the
Baltimore County Public Schools,
where he served as director of
special education. Prior to that he
was the clinic director of United
Cerebral in Delaware County. He
resides in Reisterstown, Md. He
has a daughter, Laurie Wolfe.

1957

David Christian is retired from
the United States Navy. He resides in Festus, Mo.

1968

1976

1972

Paul Gaffney has retired as Dean
of the School of Fine Arts and
Professor of Theater at Southwestern University in Texas. He
and his wife, Lois Ferrari, reside in
Georgetown, Texas, and enjoy riding their motorcycles near Austin.

1973

40

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1974

Michael and Emily (Smith)
Reed reside in Elmira, N.Y.
They have two children, Jason
and Ellen. Emily is retired.

David Woods is pastor of Boone
Mountain Emmanuel Church,
DuBois. He is a graduate of Bi
Vocational Ministry Certification
Evangelical Covenant Church
and Navigators Disciple Training
Center. He is a founding member
of recording group Cross Walk, as
well as lead guitarist and vocalist.
The group is touring in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and
Ohio. He resides in Ridgway with
his wife, Joyce. They have three
children: Constance, David and
Christian.

Submit your photos on Facebook
or Twitter with #Cuhistory

Nelson Lifetime Achievement
Award and the Distinguished
Humanitarian Award for 2017
from Marquis Who’s Who. She
resides in Stoystown with her
husband, David. She has a son,
Kyle, daughter-in-law, Alyssa,
and a grandson, Sebastian.

Barbara (Butcher) Krause
recently retired as an educational therapist from Johnstown
Christian School. Previously, she
retired from North Star School
District after 33 years of teaching. Barbara received the Albert

Cynthia (Rowles) Collins
retired from Clearfield Area
Schools in 2014 after teaching
37 years. She resides with her
husband David in Clearfield.

1978

Dave Heckler is retired.
He resides in Lake Wales, Fla.,
with his wife Tina.

1979

Barbara (Nuhfer) Verity is
a reading/special education
teacher for the Sarasota (Fla.)
County Schools. She resides in
Sarasota and has a daughter,
Amanda.

1983

Todd Sherry has played recurring roles on nine television
series and guest starred on
dozens more. He has been
seen on film opposite Sandra
Bullock, Steve Carrell, Adam
Sandler and Marion Cotillard.
Todd continues to work in
theater, television and film and
is based in Los Angeles. He
resides in North Hollywood,
Calif.

1984

Scott Shewell was recently
named president/CEO for Safe
Harbor. Prior to the promotion,
Shewell had been serving as
vice president for community
relations and development.
Scott resides in Mechanicsburg.
Sue Steis is a professional staff
nurse in the ICU at UPMC St.
Margaret, Pittsburgh. She is
looking forward to her new
role and the chance to grow
and develop into a critical care
nurse. She resides in Kittanning.

1986

William Hanna is a computer
science teacher for Centennial
High School, Frisco, Texas. He
also serves as advisor to the
school’s Dungeons and Dragons Club as well as secondary
advisor to the Computer Science Club. William resides in
Plano, Texas.

1988
Gerald Stebbins is vice president for student affairs and
dean of students at Bethany
College, Bethany, W.Va. He
resides in Washington, Pa.,
with his children: Elias, Olivia
and Anna.
Douglas Goncar recently
retired from Schwebel Baking Company after 26 years
of service to continue growing his 13-year ownership of
an appliance business. He has
consistently experienced much
success from online commerce
in the areas of antiques, sporting goods, electronics and
appliances. Douglas resides in
Gibsonia with his wife Melana
and daughter Abigail.
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

1991

Lynn (Novakoski) Manganaro is a
program coordinator for Breast Cancer
Support Services of Berks County,
West Reading.

1992

Robert Benson is an executive director
of the Safari Club International Foundation. He resides in Cedar Park, Texas,
with his wife Michelle.

1995

Ian Mazour is a central library division
manager for the Brooklyn (N.Y.) Public
Library. He resides in Brooklyn
.
Dan Payne is CEO of Rugby Americas,
Denver. He resides in Denver with his
wife Kelly and son Wesley.

1996

Mark Schmitt recently received the
2017 Rock Hill Herald Buzzie Award, being named the best accountant in York
County, S.C. He is a self-employed certified public accountant. He resides in
Waxhaw, N.C., with his wife, Stephanie,
and daughters, Kayley and Mackenzie.

2004

Kenneth (B.Ed. ’12) Ramsey recently
received a master’s in education
with a concentration in mathematics through algebra I from Marshall
University. He is a seventh grade math
teacher for Kanawha County Schools,
Charleston, W.Va. He resides in Cross
Lanes, W.Va.

2006

Adelina Malito graduated from the
University of Pittsburgh with a Master
of Social Work degree.
Sheena Hoover recently joined Hayes
Design Group Architects, headquartered in Pittsburgh, as marketing
manager. She is president-elect of
the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Society
for Marketing Professional Services.
Sheena resides in Coraopolis with her
son Aidan.

2009

sixth nomination for Mark’s record
label. He resides in Northport, N.Y.
Alexander and Hannah (Arnett)
Campbell reside in Pittsburgh, where
Hannah is a clinical social worker for
UPMC Shadyside Hospital.
Ian and Samantha (Overdorff ’10)
Catherine reside in Williamsport. Ian
is an on-air personality for Colonial
Radio Group, Williamsport.

2012

Leila (Zorzie) Shields is employed
with Harborcreek (Pa.) Youth Services. She resides in North East with
her husband Matt.
Kaitlyn (Anderson M.S. ‘14) and
Ryan (’09, M.Ed ’13) Justice reside
in Clarion. Kaitlyn is an early intervention speech-language therapist
for Riverview Intermediate Unit #6,
Clarion.

2013

Natalie Schwarz is a senior e-commerce analyst for Dick’s Sporting
Goods, Coraopolis. She resides in
Beaver.

2015

Kevin Pora served in the Army Reserve
from 1997 through 2005. He resides in
Erie.

Breanna (Campbell) Byers is a customer relationship management assistant for Merrill Lynch, Pittsburgh. She
resides in Pittsburgh with her husband
Jon and son Archie.

2001

2010

Katrina Verdone received a Master
of Arts in clinical community psychology from Point Park University.
She resides in Trafford.

1999

Bradley Jones is a senior investment
analyst for the Pittsburgh Foundation.
He is a chartered financial analyst, enrolled agent and FSA credential holder.
Bradley resides in Cranberry Township.

2003

Katherine (Kate) Handra is
employed by Duquesne Light,
Pittsburgh. She is an American Red
Cross instructor, a zoning commission-

42

er, a notary, Special Olympics swimming coach, and a women’s professional football player. She resides in
Glassport Pa.

SPRING 2018
WWW.CLARION.EDU

Daniel Lewis is head reference librarian for Capital Community College,
Hartford, Conn. He resides in New
Britain, Conn.

2011

Mark Carpentieri’s record label, M.C.
Records, was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Traditional Blues. The release is “Sonny &
Brownie’s Last Train” by Guy Davis
and Fabrizio Poggi. This marks the

Amanda (Jones) Stofan is a first
grade teacher in the Moon Area
School District. She resides in Pittsburgh with her husband Eric.

2017

Kayla Handy is a crime reporter for
The Daily News, Huntingdon. She
resides in Huntingdon.

IN MEMORIAM
1930s

Corinne Fields (’32), Feb. 9, 2018
Minnie Smith-Cragie (’36), Jan. 29,
2018
Betty Bowersox (’38), March 9, 2018

1940s

Eleanor Harnish (’42), Aug. 21, 2017
Philip Wallace (’48), July 29, 2017
Patricia Shofestall (’49), July 30,
2017
Charles Kinkead (’49), Oct. 10, 2017
Margaret Aharrah (’49), Jan. 8, 2018

1950s

Raymond McElhattan (’50),
July 1, 2017
Paul Weibel (’50), Aug. 16, 2017
Robert Cooley (’51), Oct. 20, 2017
Jenifer Robinson (’51), Nov. 10, 2017
Dolores Pearson (’52), Oct. 24, 2017
Allen Taylor (’52), Dec. 7, 2017
Lois Albrecht (’52), Feb. 23, 2018
Thomas Brady (’53), Sept. 28, 2017
Thomas Stanko (’53), Feb. 10, 2018
Bonnie Black (’54), July 3, 2017
George Wollaston (’57), Sept. 6,

2017

Wilbur Larsen (’57), Dec. 3, 2017
Jay Shaffer (’57), Jan. 31, 2018
James Demski (’58), July 5, 2017
Fred Matheson (’59), July 30, 2017

1960s

John Slaughenhoupt (’60),
July 22, 2017
Bruce Murphy (’62), June 28, 2017
Edward Killian (’63), Oct. 17, 2017
Donald Deets (’65), June 30, 2017
Sandra Staley (’65), June 26, 2017
Henry Carberry (’65), Dec. 17, 2017
Judith Nuhfer (’65), Feb. 211, 2018
Nerissa Broad (’66), Dec. 1, 2017
John Scott (’67), Feb. 21, 2018
Elizabeth Stock (’68), July 8, 2017
Dorothy Anna (’68), Aug. 27, 2017
Karen Wiest (’68), Dec. 28, 2017
Paul Schalcosky (’69), July 23, 2017

1970s

D. Waugaman (’70), Dec. 13, 2017
Chris Massena (’70), Feb. 16, 2018
Joseph Strong (’71), Nov. 26, 2017
Barbara Ausel (’71), Jan. 4, 2018
Terry Johnson-Cooney (’71), Jan. 9,
2018
Margaret Mess (’72), Oct. 16, 2017
Martha Dodd (’72), Feb. 10, 2018
Cheryl Dehner (’73), Aug. 7, 2017
Kurt Dudt (’73), Oct. 18, 2017
Jack Giering (’73), Feb. 1, 2018
Ronald Elkin (’74), Dec. 14, 2017
Thomas J. Urban (‘75), Feb. 26, 2017
Claudia Fetters (’75), Nov. 25, 2017
James Long (’77), June 30, 2017
Michael Miller (’77), Oct. 16, 2017
Timothy McDermott (’77), Jan. 15, 2018
Donna Kerchinski (’78), Feb. 9, 2018
Mattie Woods (’79), June 19, 2017

1980s

Susan Tomsko (’82), Sept. 2, 2017
Scott McElravy (’82), Jan. 31, 2018
Jennifer Holbrook (’84), Aug. 15, 2017
Janice Taylor (’85), Aug. 19, 2017
P. Elmer (’85), Oct. 9, 2017
Melanie Brannan (’85), Oct. 12, 2017
David Maloney (’86), Nov. 30, 2017
Abby Flockerzi (’88), March 9, 2018
John Huffman (’89), Nov. 29, 2017

1990s

William Valdesalice (’90), July 15, 2017
Vivian Russell (’90), Jan. 30, 2018
Marianne Scheer (’91), Dec. 4, 2017
David Capra (’92), June 28, 2017
Adam Dovenspike (’94), Nov. 1, 2017
R. Jenkins (’94), Dec. 27, 2017
James Alcorn (’95), Dec. 13, 2017
Alex Kopolovich (’96), Oct. 10, 2017

2000s

Elizabeth Ford (’03), Oct. 14, 2017
Michael Rodemoyer (’08), Nov. 19, 2017

2010s

Friends

Richard Metcalf, Sept. 2, 2017
Louise Salvucci, July 6, 2017
John Mays, Aug. 27, 2017
George Niederriter, Sept. 23, 2017
Robert Dillon, Sept. 26, 2017
Liz Stephenson, Sept. 29, 2017
Barbara McClaine, Oct. 12, 2017
Garold Kriebel, Oct. 27, 2017
Kami Dinger, Oct. 31, 2017
Kenton McElhattan, Nov. 23, 2017
Edward Mattil, Dec. 19, 2017
Emmett Graybill, Dec. 25, 2017
Nicholas Bezak, Dec. 28, 2017
Sheila Nair, Jan. 2, 2018
Paul Kim, Feb. 20, 2018
Sally Ringland, Feb. 27, 2018
Ruth Kriebel, March 11, 2018
Julie Dandoy, March 22, 2018

MARRIAGES
Jessica McArdle (’10) &
Lindsay Vevers (‘09, MBA ’11),
Sept. 8, 2017
Eric Stofan &
Amanda Jones (’15),
June 24, 2017
Nathan Rieck (’13) &
Amanda Rodman (’15),
Oct. 21, 2017
Ian Catherine (‘11) &
Samantha Overdorff (‘10),
Oct. 28, 2017
Justin Ringeisen (’12) &
Lauren Sigmund (’13),
Nov. 4, 2017
Alyssa Katz (’14, MS ‘15) &
Joshua Domitrovich (’13, MBA ‘15),
June 25, 2017

Sally Nichols (’14), Nov. 18, 2017
Tailor Wilkinson (’14), Nov. 22, 2017
Jacob Griffin (’15), Aug. 22, 2017
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UNIVERSITY

CLARION

CLARION

UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY

BENJAMIN

EVERETT

DAWSON

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
• Full address
• Graduation year of alumni
• Baby’s name and gender
• Date of birth

Benjamin Albert Godfrey, son of
Dan and Rheanne
(Carr ’09) Godfrey,
born July 10, 2017

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.

ARCHIE

Archie William Byers, son of
Jon and Breanna
(Campbell ’09) Byers,
born Nov. 9, 2016

COLTON

Colton James Becker, son of
Shaun and Megan
(Linton ’09) Becker,
born May 20, 2017

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ADELINA

ISABELLE

Isabelle Lynn Stauffer, daughter
of Todd and Kristy (Marchal
’08) Stauffer,
born Dec. 23, 2016

ADDISON

Adelina Vienna Bruckner,
daughter of Albert Bruckner
and Marissa Rapone (’08),
born May 8, 2017

DECLAN

Addison Ryan and Declan Joseph Konz, twin of
Rick and Katie (Forsyth ’06) Konz, born June 20, 2017

SYDNEY

Sydney Elizabeth Faith,
daughter of Chris and Amy
(Baumann ’08) Faith,
born Sept. 29, 2017

CHLOE

Chloe Ann DuScheid, daughter
of Douglas and Jennifer
(Kaltenbach ’07) DuScheid,
born Oct. 23, 2017

Everett John Wills, son of
Nathan and Kelly
(Molnar ’95) Wills,
born July 27, 2017

CECILIA

Dawson Scott Donato, son of
Dustin (‘06) and Kara
(Scott ‘13) Donato,
born Sept. 5, 2017

ADLEY

Cecilia Marie Puckey, daughter
of Jason and Jackie
(Rodgers ’06) Puckey,
born Oct. 4, 2017

SARAH

Sarah Margaret York, daughter
of Kevin and Jennifer
(Pavlik ’07) York,
born Dec. 15, 2017

NEAL

Adley IvaLynn Brown, daughter
of Cody and Meggi
(Wilcox ’11) Brown,
born Oct. 14, 2017

BARRETT

Barrett Nicholas Harlan, son
of Timothy and Courtney
(Castaldi ’08) Harlan,
born Dec. 18, 2017

Neil Ryan Fogarty, son of
Audra (McGuire ’09) and
Ryan (’11) Fogarty,
born Oct. 22, 2017

AUBREY

Aubrey Jade Wills, daughter
of John Wills and Cassandra
Monper (’13) Wills,
born Jan. 5, 2018
CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

45

Becoming an author was a natural occurrence for William
L. Myers Jr. (’80), but it didn’t happen overnight.
Myers said he always had a dream that he’d write the great
American novel.
“Reading has been a passion of mine for as long as I can
remember, and I’ve always held authors in awe. What I found,
though, was that it took years of trying cases as an attorney
to develop the tools I needed to write. And that shouldn’t be
a surprise to anyone who is a trial attorney. That’s because all
good trial attorneys learn that you have to approach the jury
with a compelling story.”
Myers began his career as a defense attorney in Philadelphia, but now serves as a trial attorney representing, among
others, railroad employees. He owns
a law firm in downtown Philadelphia
directly across the street from City
Hall.
The law has provided a wealth
of material for Myers. His second
book, “An Engineered Injustice,”
released in January, deals with a
railroad accident. His first book, “A
Criminal Defense,” deals with the
death of a young reporter and the
attorney who must defend his friend
who is accused of her murder.

THE CASE OF THE

“The ideas for the overall theme
of my books just seem to come to
me. I’m not sure from where. The
details, though, have to be worked
out as the story progresses,”
Myers said.
Myers said he completes a loose
outline of where he wants the story
to end and develops three to four
major plot points. He also loosely
outlines chapters.
As he starts writing, the characters take on a life of their own – and
sometimes it surprises him.

U
O
C
ING

R
O
L
NSE

S
O
P
M
O
C

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“Sometimes a scoundrel proves himself to be a hero.
Sometimes, a hero turns out to have cracked armor,” he said.
Often, when characters have a dialogue in one of his books,
he’ll discover a conflict that he didn’t know was there.
“Conflict is really more interesting,” Myers said.
Myers is no stranger to conflict, both as an attorney and
during his time at Clarion. He was on the debate team and said
it prepared him for his path in life in many ways.
“It helped me think on my feet,” Myers said.
He said in the courtroom, witnesses – even your own witnesses – will say things that you didn’t expect, and you need “to
pivot and react.”

“I was privileged to have a great coach, Barry McCauliff,
who inspired me and made it fun,” Myers said of the retired
professor and debate coach.
The fun continues as he juggles life as an attorney and as
an author.
Myers said Amazon prefers two-book deals; he had one
night to come up with a proposal for a second book. Amazon
also recommended that he keep his books within the same
universe. In other words, have the protagonist of one book
become a secondary character in the next book, and vice versa.
That way your world has already been established, saving creative time and building a sense of familiarity for the readers.
Myers’ books do not need to be read in order. It’s only the
universe that remains the same.
For his first book, it took
him two-and-a-half years from
start to finish, but his second
book took only four months to
complete. Amazon knew what
type of story they wanted, and
Myers just had to take his
experiences in railroad law and
craft the story.
“Once I started the second
book, it almost felt like it was
writing itself,” Myers said.
He’s now writing his third
book, but he hasn’t forgotten the
advice his editor gave him when
writing his first.
“He said to me, Bill, I like
your writing, but unless you’re
Stephen King, nobody will publish
a 600-page novel.”
Myers shaved out storylines and focused more on the
main characters, and “A Criminal
Defense” was completed.

The Amazon reviews for both books are all positive.
His advice for anyone who has a dream?
“Go for it. No matter where you are in your life – in high
school, college or middle age. If you are driven to the law, or to
writing, do it. I was lucky in that I knew from a young age that
I wanted to be a lawyer. But a lot of people don’t know what
they want to do until later, after they’ve had the chance to
sample different jobs,” he said. “As for writing, I didn’t have my
first book published until I was 58! It’s never too late.”
Myers and his wife, Lisa Chalmers, live in the suburbs of
Philadelphia with their two rescue pit bulls, Phoenix
and Pharaoh.
CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

47

COURAGEOUS

endeavors

LOGAN CHERNICKY

Merriam-Webster defines grit
as “firmness of mind or spirit;
unyielding courage in the face of
hardship or danger.”
For anyone, starting a new
business can be daunting. For
a college student with a double
major and a demanding schedule,
it takes nothing short of grit to
make it go.
Logan Chernicky, a May 2018
graduate with degrees in geology
and environmental geology, used
his expertise in those areas to
create Enhanced Visual, a system
that allows construction site
managers to track the progress
of their projects using drones and
specialized computer software.
That was during his junior year.

Are you ready to make a

Difference?
Simple ways to make your mark on the future:

Chernicky was so confident in the business that he was tempted to focus on it and to put the
last year of his college education on hold. As he considered the best route for himself and the
company, he stayed in school and joined the PASSHE Business Plan Competition, which provides
student entrepreneurs a real-world opportunity to pitch their original business plans and to win
funds to assist in the start-up or expansion of their businesses.
He worked with Clarion’s Small Business Development Center to create a business plan, and in
mid-April, he was announced as the winner of the top prize, $10,000 to use for his business.

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ENHANCED
VISUAL

• Make a gift through your retirement plan
• Give life insurance you no longer need
• Donate appreciated stock and save on taxes
• Consider a gift of real estate
• Make a gift that gives you fixed payments for life
• Make a gift that protects your assets

Recognize these guys?

Larry W. Jamison ’87
Director of Planned Giving
Clarion University Foundation, Inc.
Seifert-Mooney Center for Advancement
840 Wood Street, Clarion, PA 16214-1232
814-393-1926 Fax: 814-393-1834
ljamison@cuf-inc.org
CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

49

NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 2
CLARION, PA

840 WOOD STREET
CLARION, PA 16214-1232
WWW.CLARION.EDU

For a full schedule of events and to register visit www.clarion.edu/alumniweekend.
CALL (814) 393-2572 or EMAIL alumni@clarion.edu for more information.
Clarion University Foundation, Inc.