CLARION
U N I V E R S I T Y

M A G A Z I N E

FALL 2018

G
E
A
OUS
R
U
.
CO

confident.

PEHRSSON.

Assimilation is key in helping refugees.

CLARION

FA L L 2 0 1 8
VOLUME 5
NUMBER 2

FEATURES
12 Undergrads change the fate of cells

Student scientists began their summer break in Dr.
Doug Smith’s classroom and lab, learning how to
change cell characteristics.

16 At the top

Since the early 1960s, Clarion has built a nursing
program that allows students to climb the ladder
of credentials from Associate of Science in
Nursing to the Doctor of Nursing Practice. Robin
Bilan is the first person to complete every step

DEPARTMENTS
4 Clarion Digest
Paralegal students produce Clarion’s first law
journal; a new Venango alumni chapter invites
new members; head athletic trainer Jim Thornton
is inducted into the National Athletic Trainers’
Association Hall of Fame; Clarion celebrates
freedom at the annual Juneteenth observance;
alumni and friends gather at Pittsburgh Zoo for
the first CU at the Zoo.
10 Alumni Weekend 2018

on that ladder.

22 Sesquicentennial: 1967 to 2018

This issue takes a look at the past 50 years of Clarion
history and explores the vision for the future of the
university.

28 Meet President Pehrsson

31 Sports roundup
The inaugural Sports Hall of Fame class returns
for 30th anniversary; Holden and Vensel join
fellow PSAC spikers for international play; young
talent emerges for baseball; golfers play strong in
a season shortened by weather; new faces shine
in softball; a solid foundation shows promise for
tennis; new records set in exciting track & field
season.
40 Class Notes

At the end of 2017, the United Nations Refugee Agency reported that
68.5 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes due
to persecution, conflict, violence and human rights violations.
Dr. Mark Lepore, associate professor of rehabilitation sciences, has
been working with refugees since the 1990s. He says refugees will be
the best neighbors you’ve ever had and encourages people to extend a
hand to them.

ON THE COVER
Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson,
Clarion University’s 17th President

48 Courageous Endeavors
Melinda Carbaugh had graduated and was
days away from taking her board exam to be
a registered nurse when she and her husband
were in a motorcycle accident, leaving Carbaugh
unable to walk. The determined mother of two
decided she would walk again and be able to
work as a nurse.

Read more at http://www.clarion.edu/news/2018/july/refugees.html.

CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

1

Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education

CLARION
UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

President: Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson
Executive editor: Tina Horner
Co-editors: Sean Fagan (sports); Amy Thompson Wozniak (’02, MS ’06)

Board of Governors
Chair: Cynthia D. Shapira
Vice Chair: David M. Maser
Vice Chair: Samuel H. Smith
Sen. Ryan P. Aument
Rep. Matthew E. Baker
Audrey F. Bronson
Joar Dahn
Sarah Galbally
Rep. Michael K. Hanna
Donald E. Houser Jr.
Barbara McIlvaine Smith
Marian D. Moskowitz
Thomas S. Muller
Pedro A. Rivera, secretary of education
Sen. Judy Schwank
Harold C. Shields
Brian Swatt
Rep. Mike Turzai
Neil R. Weaver
Janet L. Yeomans
Gov. Tom Wolf

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Clarion University family,
Greetings! I am thrilled to be at Clarion University, serving as
your president!
As a first-generation college student, I had no idea that my
journey would ultimately lead me to the presidency of a
university. I began my career as a nurse, not suspecting then
that I would gravitate toward education. As I continued to
learn new skills and add to my academic credentials, my
interests changed and led to higher education, then higher

Design: Bryan Postlewait (‘04)
Contributors: Michelle Port, Hope Lineman (‘10, MS ‘16)
Photographers: Adam Reynolds (’15), Bri Nellis (’16)
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

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)

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

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)
Henry Crawford (’02)
Christopher Enos, Eagle Ambassadors president
Kimberly Griffith (’87)
Lee Grosch (’62)
Sandra Jarecki (’69)
Bridget Kennedy (’90)
Barry McCauliff (’72)
Thomas Launer (’10)
Chris Myers (’12)
Michael Phillips (’03, ’04)
Ryan Peffer (’03)
Michael Polite (’86)
Will Price (’11)
David Reed (’09)
Robert Schmidt (’69)
Georgia Yamalis (’15)
Glenn Zary (’97)

education administration.
My story is not unique; many of you have had similar
experiences, beginning your college education in one field, but listening to that inner voice that
nudged you elsewhere. I’m a firm believer that our life experiences, collectively, prepare us for
what’s to come. We aren’t done learning!
I have hit the ground running, learning as much as I can about the challenges we face and the
opportunities before us. We are strong and will grow even stronger. Our faculty and staff are
committed and engaged, our students represent the best and brightest from across Pennsylvania
and the country, and you, our alumni and friends, are making a difference in your communities.
My husband, Dr. Bob, and I are truly excited to be part of the Clarion community, and I look
forward to meeting you and hearing your Clarion stories.

Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson
President
Clarion University

Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson ex-officio
President, Clarion University
James Geiger ex-officio
Vice president for advancement

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Ann Thompson ex-officio
Director of alumni engagement

CLARION UNIVERSITY
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STUDENTNEWS
NEWSI I CLARION DIGEST
ALUMNI

STUDENT NEWS I CLARION DIGEST

simpson
ATTENDS WOMEN’S
POLITICAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Kaley Simpson, a sophomore political science major from
Sligo, attended the National Education for Women Leadership
Pennsylvania conference in June at Chatham University.
Leadership Pennsylvania is an intensive, weeklong, residential leadership and public policy institute designed to educate
and empower young women for future political participation
and leadership. Each year approximately 35 students from
colleges and universities across Pennsylvania are selected to
attend.
“I am involved with the League of Women Voters in Clarion. They are a bipartisan group worried about issues in and
around Clarion,” Simpson said. “I encourage any woman to become involved and make your voice heard.”

CU AT THE
GOLDEN EAGLES TACKLE NEEDS OF

community

zoo

(From left) Marissa Hefferan (’18), Morgan Woodin (’17, ’18 MBA), Maggie Hefferan and Michelle Hefferan (’16)
take a break from visiting animals during the Alumni Association’s first CU at the Zoo event at Pittsburgh Zoo.

Before their final spring practice of the year, Golden
Eagles football players delivered care packages to
Clarion’s Shelter Task Force. The initiative, started by
junior defensive lineman Alec Heldreth of Canfield,
Ohio, generated donations from players, their families
and friends.
“I transferred here from Lake Erie, and we did something
similar to this in the city of Painesville, Ohio,” Heldreth
said. “When I brought the idea to my teammates,
everyone was on board to help out. Guys realize we’re
blessed with the opportunity to attend college and play
football, and it’s important for us to give back and help
people who need it.”

John Danvers, a junior political science and economics major from
Franklin, is the paid APSCUF government and public relations intern at
APSCUF in Harrisburg this summer. In the highly competitive statewide
position, Danvers will earn six academic credits in political science for his
work.
As part of his internship, he writes a blog. He discusses the
Pennsylvania Promise legislation in his July 18 entry, available at
http://www.apscuf.org/lets-fund-pennsylvania-promise-through-a-severance-tax/.

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SOARS TO ALTITUDE

The packages included essentials such as toothpaste,
mouthwash, deodorant and other hygiene supplies, as
well as clothing and snacks.

danvers APSCUF
SERVING COVETED
INTERNSHIP

4

Dunleavy

Gina Matthews Clark (right), who graduated in 2001 with a
Master of Science in Education, reading specialist certification,
accepts a teacher kit from Ann Thompson, director of alumni
engagement. Clark teaches reading at Keystone High School.
The Office of Alumni Engagement received nearly 600
requests for teacher kits that included branded sticky notes,
pencils, erasers, a Clarion University pennant, tape measure,
sewing kit, first aid kit, coffee mug, pledge card and admissions
materials. Kits are available while supplies last.

Casey Dunleavy (’13)
has joined the Altitude
Marketing team as
manager, digital
marketing. He 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.

CLARION UNIVERSITY
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CLARION UNIVERSITY – VENANGO DIGEST
KIDS IN

CLARION UNIVERSITY – VENANGO DIGEST

Clarion University – Venango

college

ALUMNI CHAPTER FORMS, PLANS MEETING

Wesley Sanchez and Riley Guiste
collaborate on building/programming
using LEGO Mindstorms v3. They were
among more than 50 students in
kindergarten through 8th grade who
enjoyed a variety of classes in science,
technology, engineering and art at the
weeklong Kids in College summer
enrichment camp, held in July at
Venango campus. The week concluded
with an Adventure Day at Two Mile Run
Park with a variety of fun lessons and
activities, courtesy of Venango County
Conservation District.

Clarion University – Venango
Alumni Chapter formed in May as
a way to connect alumni to each
other through networking and
social interaction, and to provide

opportunities for alumni to reconnect
with Clarion University by helping to
recruit new students, serve as mentors
for current students and provide a
resource for recent graduates.

The group plans activities to
help students with their schoolwork,
promote the campus and Clarion
University, and provide fun networking
experiences. For information call
814-393-2572 or email
alumni@clarion.edu.

simulation
PREPARES STUDENTS TO BE
EFFECTIVE IN CRISES

Nursing and respiratory care students
participated in an interdisciplinary training day May
1 to better prepare them for being part of a
healthcare team as they move from educational
training to the workforce.
Interdisciplinary simulations focused on patients
in situations of cardiac and respiratory arrest. These
are high-stress medical events that typically are
anxiety producing for students. The high-fidelity
mannequins can be programmed to mimic real
patients that blink, have reactive pupils, have
pulses, have lung, heart and bowel sounds,
breathe, and can be intubated and defibrillated.

“The chapter is open to anyone
who has attended classes at the
Venango campus, friends of the
Venango campus, and those who
attended Clarion main campus and live
in Venango County, who are interested
in advocating for the campus and its
students in the community and
beyond,” said Will Price, who earned
his associate degree at Venango in
2009 and his bachelor’s degree at
Clarion in 2011. Price is leading the
establishment of the chapter.

Members are: (from left) Linda (Lusher ’81) Antonucci, Will Price (’11), Deb Lutz (’04, MBA
’09), Susan Hileman (’97) and Emily Weaver (’09), assistant director of alumni relations.

MISSION OF

gratitude

“The students are getting ready to graduate, and
we want to make the simulation as real as possible,” said Chris Weidle, nursing faculty.
Cross-disciplinary simulation allows
students to learn hands-on collaboration with
various healthcare roles in a critical situation. The
real-life simulation better prepares students to act
effectively, to decrease anxiety, and to know the
important initial steps to take to be an effective
healthcare professional.

Clockwise from left: Weidle, nursing students Harry Powell and
Alyce Wedikind, respiratory care faculty Greg Sambor, and
respiratory therapy students Matthew Sibley and Tasia Weber.

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“This is the type of interdisciplinary learning
opportunity that is uniquely emphasized across all
of our academic programs within the College of
Health Sciences and Human Services,” said
Dr. Jeffery Allen, college dean.

Oil City Healthcare and
Rehabilitation Center and Oakwood
Heights Presbyterian Home
honored the Veterans Club of
Venango campus in April for their
service to elderly veterans in the
Oil City community.

The club’s primary mission is
community service. Annually, they
collect donations and support for
the local humane society and plan
and host Flags for the Fallen at
Venango campus. In fall 2017 they
collected 2,581 can tabs to support
homeless veterans.

Members visit veterans each year
with Veterans Day cards, Easter
lilies and an assortment of
Christmas gifts. They partner with
local elementary schools to assist in
making cards for veterans.

(From left) Dalyann Fuller and Mark Conrad, former and current Veterans Club advisors, Jay Stull and wife Brenda Stouffer.  
CLARION UNIVERSITY
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ALUMNI NEWS I CLARION DIGEST

ALUMNI NEWS I CLARION DIGEST

growth BRINGS NAME CHANGE TO ACADEMIC COLLEGE
The College of
Health and Human
Services has
changed its name
to the College of
Health Sciences and
Human Services
to better reflect
the professional
programs it offers
and represent the
comprehensive
programming and
growth of offerings
in these fields.
“’Health science’
expands the focus of
the college and refers to the body of knowledge, applicable
in the practice of clinical health care and population
health,” said Dr. Jeffery Allen, founding dean, who is
leading the growth and has an extensive background in
neuropsychology.
“The college comprises numerous disciplines and
sub-disciplines that provide cross-curricular training that
will aid in impacting health, disease diagnostics and clinical
practice.”

Dr. Valentine James’ new book, “Capacity Building for
Sustainable Development,” has been released.
Capacity building is a topic of intense focus in many industrialized countries. The book explores the theoretical underpinnings
of capacity building to sustain natural, cultural and human resources of communities. The book reviews the extensive literature
on capacity building strategies and policies and examines the
implications of sustainable development in communities around
the world. The book’s approach is both theoretical and applied. It
offers methods of operationalizing sustainable development and
sustainability theories and explores capacity building methods at
different levels of government.

“Health care must address the whole person, and the
medical profession is moving to integrate physical,
behavioral and mental health care and services,” said Dr.
Pam Gent, interim provost. “Locating the department of
psychology in the college will allow for greater
collaboration and synergy between the departments and
faculty and, more importantly, it will allow for increased
opportunities for students to develop skills in coordinated
care and a team-based approach to serving people.”
In the past few years, Clarion has introduced multiple
academic programs in health sciences and human
services, including nutrition and fitness, sport management,
a three-year bachelor’s in respiratory therapy and master’s
programs in athletic training and mental health counseling.
Enrollment in the expanded nursing program continues to
grow at all levels: ASN, RN-to-BSN, four-year BSN, MSN
and DNP.

Jim Thornton, head athletic
trainer at Clarion University for nearly
30 years, was inducted into the 2018
National Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame at the 69th annual
NATA Clinical Symposia in late June.
Thornton has held volunteer
leadership positions at the state,
district and national levels, including
the NATA District Two. He was the
NATA District Two secretary in 1998,
District Two director in 2005, NATA
vice president in 2009 and president
of the national association in 2012.

The book is available through the publisher, CABI,
at cab.presswarehouse.com in North and South America
and at www.cabi.org/bookshop elsewhere.

graduation rate FOR PELL RECIPIENTS LAUDED
Collegefactual.com ranks Clarion in the top 8 percent based on the expected vs. actual graduation rate, and the
university was recognized by Southern Regional Educational Board in their report, “Promoting a Culture of Student
Success.”

hall of fame

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ABOUT CAPACITY BUILDING

The college houses the departments of
communication sciences and disorders; human services,
rehabilitation, health and sport sciences; and nursing.
The department of psychology also recently became part
of the college, a move from the College of Arts, Education
and Sciences.

THORNTON INDUCTED INTO NATA

8

james RELEASES BOOK

As president, he represented
NATA in White House meetings that
resulted in the “Stop the Bleed”
campaign, introduced a new logo,
announced the Japanese Athletic
Trainers’ Organization as an official affiliate member of NATA, and
initiated ATs Care, an international
program that provides peer support
for athletic trainers dealing with a
crisis or critical incident.

The report highlighted public universities with a high percentage of Pell Grant recipients, and SAT/ACT scores at or
below the national average, yet having a strong percentage of these students achieving a bachelor’s degree. Clarion
University was one of 31 universities nationwide that met the criteria and one of 16 model universities chosen for this
study by SREB.

BRING THE DREAM

to life

The Rev. Mark Elliston of Christ Episcopal Church, Oil City,
was guest speaker at Clarion University’s 16th annual Juneteenth program, “Bring the Dream to Life,” June 14 in Hart
Chapel. Mia Hill, sophomore rehabilitative sciences major,
was emcee.
Juneteenth began in Texas. Although the Emancipation
Proclamation was issued Jan. 1, 1863, slaves in Texas didn’t
receive word until two-and-a-half years later, on June 19, 1865,
that they were free. This is the celebration of that freedom.

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Friends and family of Dr. Brenda Sanders Dede gathered to say farewell and best wishes.
She retired in July after 23 years at Clarion University.

ALUMNIweekend 2018

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UNDERGRADS
CHANGE FATE OF CELLS
Students in Dr. Doug Smith’s Advances in Manipulation of Cell Fate course learn how to fuse cells to achieve specific traits.

When cells just won’t behave the way they’re needed to
behave, what is a scientist to do?

The results obtained will be examined for intellectual
property development potential.

This summer, students in Dr. Doug Smith’s Advances
in Manipulation of Cell Fate class learned the answer to
that question: Make them behave through hybridoma
technology.

In class, the application for the technology is a kit to test
for a fungus that is lethal to amphibians, mainly frogs and
salamanders. Affected animals develop scarring on their
skin. Amphibians breathe through their skin, and scar tissue
makes the skin impermeable to air.

According to the catalog description, the course
“Focuses on highly technical laboratory training in the
methods to change cells outside the body. Manipulated cells
can then be reintroduced to the body as therapies or used
alternatively in various experimental applications.” Students
undertake three projects:
• Isolation of particular cell types;

When the fungus is present, antibodies bind with it and
the students can put in signals that create a colored reaction, much like a pregnancy test. The test allows the fungus
to be diagnosed and treated before it spreads among the
species, which is especially crucial when the animals are in a
captive environment, such as a zoo or conservatory.

• Fusion of two different cell types to obtain
a desired hybrid;
• Dedifferentiation into stem-like cells and redifferentiation
into new cell types.

THE PROCESS
Three months before the class begins, students begin
injecting mice to create a strong immune response to the
fungus; they give repeated booster shots to the mice.
“When the mice are making a very strong antibody
response – which we determine by testing their blood – we
remove the lymphocytes that make antibodies and fuse
them with cancer cells,” Smith said. “Fusion is completed by
putting them together in a chemical that causes the cells’
‘skins’ to bind together, then we put them in a centrifuge to
push them together, and then we let them grow.”

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Smith said they screen out unsuccessful fusions; screening detects fusions that produce antibodies that work in the
kit. It takes about a year to get the desired cell.
The ability to perform this process is a skill that is highly
sought, immediately hirable, and important for molecular
ecology and biology research. Its applications go far beyond
helping our cold-blooded friends.
“Any test kit used in a diagnostic lab in a hospital is usually done the same way,” Smith said. “Testing for cancer,
endocrine disorders, neurological disorders – these kinds of
kits are what hospital labs use to diagnose people with different types of diseases.”
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STEM CELLS AND CLONING
“We do a variety of other types (of cell growth) that
involve stem cell technology,” Smith said. “Stem cells can
live for a long time in a culture, and they can self-renew.
The stem cells, hopefully, are producing healthy tissue that
can be used in individuals for transplantation. When older
tissue wears out in a heart valve, for example, we currently
use cow and pig valves, but the future holds promise for
our own stem cells to be used.”
One of the main problems with transplantation today
is that the immune system can react to – or reject –
something from another body. Smith said that through
autologous transplantation – taking a person’s own stem
cells, manipulating them and putting them back in in a
new form – the body should not reject them.

“We design our own experiments to learn what
conditions would be best for growing autologous stem
cells,” Smith said. He encouraged the students to be
creative with various conditions.
Is Smith ever surprised by what the students discover?
“It happens all the time,” he said. “Multiple projects in
the lab are currently patent-pending. Students worked
with me to test their own ideas, and we found something
interesting.”
Smith said he doesn’t know of another university that
offers such a course. Frequently, students from other
universities take the class, which is offered during summer
session to allow for the extensive lab time.

BELLY DANCER
When the 25th anniversary of the molecular biology/
biotechnology program was nearing, Smith and other
faculty put out a feeler on Facebook to gauge interest in a
symposium.
“Within two minutes we had six positive responses,
and in two days we had 150 people interested in
coming,” Smith said. He approached the Office of Alumni
Engagement, and assistant director Emily Weaver worked
with him to set up the “Soaring Science Symposium”
during homecoming.
Weaver recommended creating a new fund for research
equipment as part of the celebration, and Smith was all for

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it. He explained that equipment needs are great in molecular
biology; the small pieces of equipment are too expensive for
the department to purchase, but not expensive enough to
be eligible for grant money.

Radosevich approached Smith after the symposium
ended and told him that he has some money to use, and
wanted to put it toward the biology program’s equipment
needs.

“Kids who were in the program still remember the
equipment. They marveled that we were still using the old
stuff,” Smith said. “They said yes, they’d love to donate to
research, because research at Clarion is what got them their
internships and jobs.”

His donation purchased software to analyze gels on a
documentation instrument and a belly dancer which shakes
specimens to combine them.

A GOAL OF $5,000 WAS SET.
Mark Radosevich (’77) was among the alumni who
returned for the Soaring Science Symposium. Although
his Clarion degree is a BSBA in marketing, the symposium
piqued his interest. He stayed throughout the symposium,
listening to talks from various alumni.
My Clarion years were spent in the business department
on the other side of campus, and I’ve been in sales,
marketing and now mergers and acquisitions for my entire
professional career,” Radosevich said. “The microbiology
topics went mostly over my head, although I did pick up on
some things and learned quite a lot. I found the speakers to
be quite impressive in their respective fields, and the work
that they were doing is truly meaningful, for not only their
careers but to society as whole. The fact that they were all
accomplished and successful Clarion grads made it all the
more impressive.”
The symposium brochure listed several items that the
biology department needed to enhance undergraduate
learning. After witnessing the important work and
contributions that these former students were now making,
Radosevich decided to pay it forward and purchase
some of the needed items to help students improve their
Clarion learning experience and make equally meaningful
contributions to society.

“My wish is that this small equipment donation will yield
great long-term payoffs as these students embark on their
respective careers,” Radosevich said. “If more people better
understood the many positive benefits that graduates of
the Clarion biology department can impart on society, more
people would be inclined to open their wallets and fully fund
all equipment and software needs. We're really not talking
about a lot of money when considering the long term
dividends that such contributions will generate.”

Dr. Doug Smith
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Bilan’s commencement ended up being in Clarion,
enabling her to participate. She led the commencement
processional for the College of Health and Human Services
graduates, including her BSN students.
“I’m so excited to walk with my own students,” Bilan
said. “I’ve been here with them since the spring of their
freshman year.”

THE DEMAND
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that registered nurses will experience greater job growth than any
other occupation by 2018, with 581,500 jobs or a 22.2
percent increase. Nursing is the nation’s largest health
profession with more than 2.5 million jobs worldwide. In
fact, nurses are the largest single component of hospital
staffs.

Bilan CLIMBS FINAL RUNG OF

CLARION UNIVERSITY NURSING LADDER

The profession feels the crunch of the nursing shortage
in the numbers of practicing registered nurses, as well as
the numbers of students entering the field. Additionally,
the word “traditional” no longer applies to any part of
nursing, or to the educational process. Today, it’s a rare
student who is going to school full time in preparation

for a life after graduation. Most nursing students are in the
workforce, contributing to household budgets, supporting
themselves or their families. Many are holding full-time
positions in nursing or health care, or in other professions
and fields.
Clarion University is the only institution in
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education to
offer all rungs on the nursing education ladder and
demonstrates a strong commitment to nursing with its
accredited nursing programs.
The two-year Associate of Science in Nursing program
provides students a technical base for the practice of
nursing and prepares them to take the licensing examination to become registered nurses. To further encourage students to continue their education in nursing, the
RN-BSN program prepares students to practice nursing at
the professional level. This program expands the knowledge base of the student to include theoretical concepts
and independent practice and is offered online to allow
students to complete the program around work and family
obligations. For students seeking a four-year traditional
program, an on-the-ground
Bachelor of Science in Nursing program rounds out the
undergraduate offerings at Clarion.

With Bilan (center of photo) are Clarion’s first Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates: (Back row, from left) Trevor Peretic of Pittsburgh,
Brooke Reynolds of Clarion, Sydney Smajda of Springdale, Rhianon Fowler of Wilcox, Taylor Huff of Butler, Danielle Tarr of Pittsburgh, Kate Hammond of
Clarion; (middle row) Tatyana Kalik of Clarion, Terri Geist of New Bethlehem, Austin Dusch of Clearfield, Bilan, Jillian Shull of Franklin, Rosemary Brooker of
Marble; (front row) Nicole Bellefleur of Burlington, Conn., Jessica Byrd of North Huntingdon and Brandi Jackson of Douglassville.

When Clarion University conferred 1,023 degrees during
spring 2018 commencement ceremonies, among them were
107 associate, 645 bachelor’s, 270 master’s and one doctor
of nursing practice.
The recipient of the DNP is Robin Bilan of Summerville,
the first person to complete every step on Clarion’s academic ladder of nursing credentials.
Bilan, who began her nursing career by earning her
licensed practical nurse certification after high school,
worked in the nursing field for 10 years before leaving the
workforce to raise her sons. When her older son left for college, she wanted to return to nursing.
“I had been out of the nursing field for 13 years, and I
was asked to take a refresher course before returning to
work,” Bilan said.
She weighed the cost of the refresher course and decided her money would be better spent advancing her education. She applied to Clarion and Lock Haven universities and
ultimately chose Clarion. She started with the pre-nursing
program.

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Bilan continued to the Associate of Science in Nursing
program, during which she also served as a volunteer tutor
at Venango campus, which ignited her passion for teaching.
She decided to pursue her master’s degree to enable her to
teach and practice nursing. She completed the ASN in 2006,
finished the Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2008, and
graduated from the Master of Science in Nursing program in
2010.
The MSN program certifies graduates as family nurse
practitioners. Bilan worked full time as a nurse practitioner
prior to accepting an adjunct faculty position at Clarion.
At that time, she applied to the Doctor of Nursing Practice
program.
As Bilan completed work for the DNP, offered jointly with
Edinboro University, she applied and was hired as full-time
faculty in Clarion’s BSN program. While she is proud of her
accomplishment, she was willing to sacrifice walking in her
own commencement ceremony, originally scheduled in
Edinboro, to celebrate in Clarion with her 21 graduating BSN
students. They are the first cohort of students to complete
the BSN program; both the BSN and DNP degrees were
added in 2014.
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Nursing education provides rich and diverse opportunities for graduates who wish to continue to advance in
the field of nursing. Advanced education in nursing – the
Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice
degree programs – are now the norm. Academically prepared nurses have opportunities to become independent
practitioners, nurse researchers, nursing administrators, or
nurse educators.

care providers, but it also helped to alleviate the nursing
faculty shortage.
On April 20, 1995, the MSN Family Nurse Practitioner
joint program between Clarion University and Slippery Rock
University received State System approval, and on June 22,
1995, the program received State Board of Nursing approval.
Edinboro University joined in 2000.

THE EVOLUTION
In the fall of 1964, Clarion University – Venango began
offering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in cooperation with the Oil City School of Nursing. Prior to this time,
curricula at the campus had focused on elementary and
secondary education and liberal arts.
The nursing program was originally the Oil City Hospital’s diploma program. When the hospital decided to close
its program, the window of opportunity opened for Clarion
University to take over the program and house it at Venango
campus.
In June 1968, the Pennsylvania Department of Public
Instruction reversed its policy that associate degrees be
offered only at community colleges and authorized an Associate of Science in Nursing program to fill a special need
for nursing education in Venango County. The program had
been in the planning stages since the early 60s. The first
director of nursing, Ruth Benfield, was hired in 1968, and the
first ASN students were admitted to the program in September 1970. Classes were in the Richard C. Frame building,
then the only building on the Venango campus. The building
housed the library, classrooms and staff offices.
The Charles L. Suhr Library was built in 1976, allowing for
program growth. In December 1980 the Clarion University
Council of Trustees approved the formation of the Division
of Nursing to be a separate administrative unit. The new
organization structure begin July 1, 1981, and approval was
sought to offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. In fall 1982,
the first bachelor’s class was admitted.
The 80s proved to be a great span of time for the nursing programs. In June 1983 the ASN program was granted
National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission
accreditation for eight years, and by fall 1985 the RN-BSN
program followed suit. In November 1985, the Division of
Nursing became the School of Nursing.
In May 1987 the Nursing Honor Society at the Venango
campus held its first induction ceremony, welcoming 25
charter members. This was the required first step toward the
establishment of a chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honor society.

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In November 1987, the School of Nursing received approval to establish a satellite program at West Penn Hospital
in Pittsburgh to offer nurses and nursing students in the
Pittsburgh area an opportunity to complete the requirements for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The program was developed at the request of West Penn Hospital.
West Penn’s NLNAC-accredited Nursing Diploma Program formed the technical concentration for the degree,
and Clarion offered general education and support courses.
The Associate of Science in allied health then became the
entrée to the RN-BSN and Master of Science in Nursing
programs for students who chose to continue their education. This model has since converted to a more linear model
of diplomas to BSN.

In 1998, the School of Nursing launched a Bachelor
of Science in radiologic sciences degree program in
collaboration with Northwest Medical Center, which is now
known as UPMC Northwest. Clarion University restructured
its School of Nursing in 2004 to accommodate growth in
its student population and programs. The reorganization
created the School of Nursing and Allied Health, with a
department of nursing, academic home to the university’s
associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in
nursing, and a new department of allied health, which
included degree programs in radiologic science and allied
health.

on the ground at regional hospitals. Faculty began to
work on a traditional bachelor’s degree model for the
Clarion campus and a doctorate of nursing online degree.
The continued growth and development of the programs
within the School of Nursing and Allied Health necessitated
further restructuring to accommodate both qualitative and
quantitative level of maturity, size and complexity. A newly
formed School of Health Sciences, housing the departments
of nursing and allied health, was proposed in fall 2013 with a
founding director starting in the summer of 2014.
On Jan. 23, 2014, the State System approved two new
Clarion programs, a traditional, four-year Bachelor of
Science in Nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice, which
prepares nurses for executive levels of leadership in health
care systems, filling a workforce need. The BSN is taught
fully on the Clarion campus, and the DNP is taught online in
partnership with Edinboro University. The first BSN cohort
began classes in fall 2014, and the first DNP class began in
summer 2014.

From 2004 to 2012, additional programs were created in
the health sciences fields to include allied health leadership
and respiratory care, and to offer ASN cohort education

On Jan. 5, 1988, the growing School of Nursing moved
into Montgomery Hall. The first department chair was
elected in August 1988.
In January 1995 the Clarion University Council of Trustees approved a Master of Science in Nursing degree with a
nurse practitioner concentration. Soon after the launch, a
nurse educator track was added to support nursing education workforce needs.
The MSN program, a collaborative effort of Clarion and
Slippery Rock universities, and eventually Edinboro University, was developed in response to State System task force
initiative and would serve as a model for collaborative efforts within PASSHE. Meeting the health care needs of rural
residents was becoming an increasing problem in many
areas of Pennsylvania and the nation.
Students were served by courses at both university
locations and through distance education modalities. The
collaborative model allowed students to complete clinical
and educational practica within or close to their hometowns,
increasing the probability that they would remain there
as nurse practitioners or to teach as nurse educators in
hospitals or nursing schools. This not only improved access
to health care by increasing the number of primary health
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21

top
50

US NEWS & WORLD
REPORT’S
NATIONAL
RANKING OF CLARION’S ONLINE MSN
PROGRAM

GRADUATES OF
FIRST BSN CLASS

100%
ATE
AM PASS R
ASN PROGR
URE
NAL LICENS
FOR NATIO
16
0
N IN 2
EXAMINATIO

TOP 50

5 – CONSECUTIVE YEARS MSN
PROGRAM EARNED SPOT ON US
NEWS & WORLD REPORT’S TOP
RANKING LIST

EARLY 1960S – Planning for ASN program
1964 – Venango campus offers BSN with Oil City School of Nursing
1968 – State authorized Venango to offer ASN; first director of nursing, Ruth Benfield, hired
1970 – First ASN students admitted
1976 – Nurses’ lab, nursing department office and storage in new Suhr library allow for program growth
1980 – Division of Nursing formed
1982 – First BSN degree completion class admitted
1983 – ASN program earns national accreditation
1985 – RN-BSN program earns national accreditation; Division of Nursing becomes School of Nursing
1987 – Nursing Honor Society inducts 25 charter members; satellite program approved at West Penn Hospital
1988 – School of Nursing moves to Montgomery Hall; first department chair elected
1995 – MSN with nurse practitioner concentration begins jointly with Slippery Rock University
2000 – Edinboro University enters joint MSN program
2004 – School of Nursing becomes School of Nursing and Allied Health to accommodate growth
2004-2012 – Additional programs developed
2013 – School of Nursing and Allied Health becomes School of Health Sciences
2014 – Founding director begins; four-year BSN and DNP programs approved and first classes offered

NURSING AT
CLARION UNIVERSITY IS
SYNONYMOUS WITH QUALITY
AND EXCELLENCE.
In 2016 the ASN program boasted a 100%
National Council Licensure Examination pass
rate and followed that rate with a 93.94% in
2017. The average national pass rate is 87%.
The U.S. News & World Report Best Online
Masters in Nursing Program Rankings, 2018
edition, ranked the Clarion and Edinboro
Universities program among the top 50 in
the nation. The MSN program has made the
top ranking list for the past five years.

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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 1967 TO PRESENT DAY
AND LOOK TO THE UNIVERSITY’S BRIGHT FUTURE.

COMING TOGETHER
In 1967, the university and the town were at odds over
the university’s expansion and the town’s subsequent real
estate losses on the tax rolls.
According to Dr. Samuel Farmerie’s history recorded in
the 125th anniversary edition of Clarion Magazine, local

Part of the need for expansion was the rapidly
growing student population. Farmerie reported that prior
to Dr. James Gemmell’s presidency the student population
was at 1,099 students. By the end of his tenure in 1976, the
student population was at 5,000.
Venango also continued to expand. In January 1976,
an 18,000-square-foot student center and instructional
complex was built. The Robert W. Rhoades building cost
$765,000 to construct and included a gymnasium, locker
rooms, theater-lecture area, and a fully-equipped kitchen.
In addition to the Rhoades building, Venango
campus constructed Charles L. Suhr library, featuring
24,000 books and space for work and circulation rooms,
library employee offices and study lounges.

Some activities have even helped romances to
blossom.

government entities helped the expansion along. Clarion
Borough Council tied the school’s expansion into its federally funded urban renewal plan, and the Clarion County
commissioners partnered with the school in an urban
renewal plan.

Throughout this time, the growing student population
was politically and socially active.
“Students were involved in protests against
on-campus activities of military recruiters, as well as
American involvement in the Vietnam Conflict. Streakers
were also observed darting about the campus,”
Farmerie reported.

Some of the buildings included in that expansion of the
university include Carrier, Chandler Dining, Becker, Givan,
Ralston, Nair, Campbell, Wilkinson, Carlson, Peirce Science
Center, Tippin and Marwick-Boyd. Of those buildings, a few
are completely gone, including Chandler Dining, Nair, Campbell and Wilkinson. Others, such as Peirce, Carlson Library
and Tippin Gymnasium (currently being renovated), have
been renovated or portions have been incorporated into
new buildings.
Students loved living in the residence halls and still remember good times there.
“There are so many fond memories, but one that students now will not experience is the echo chant battles

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between Wilk and Nair. Especially when the sororities and
fraternities would come for pledge pick-up, they would do
their cheer, then another would do their cheer,” said Annamarie Mellett (’80, education with a major in rehabilitation
sciences).
“I can’t think of anything better than the two years that
I spent in Ballentine Hall,” said Anthony Deter (’17, liberal
studies, minor in history). I will never forget anything from
my freshman year. There was only one floor of people so
we did practically everything together. Game nights in the
basement will be forever some of my best memories. I also
loved my time being a community assistant there, up until
the dorm’s closing.”

The number of campus organizations has not waned.
Student Life reports more than 130 campus organizations
in which students can be involved. These include
academic, athletic, Greek, political, multicultural, service
and other special interest groups.

Around the end of Gemmell’s administration, student
groups of all kinds were forming.
“The number of sororities, fraternities, clubs, interest
groups, and other extracurricular programs increased as
dramatically, as did curricular ones,” Farmerie reported. “
A student affairs office was created to coordinate
programs and scheduling.

“A month into dating, we participated in a St. Paddy’s
Day UAB event where we had to practice the art of kissing
with other couples on stage in front of an audience of
our peers,” said Kelsi (Wilcox ‘07) Boyles, who met her
husband Charles at Clarion. “Twelve years, seven years of
marriage and one beautiful son later, we are still together
and reminisce often of our time as students at Clarion
University. We give back our time and money to the
university as participants of the ALF festivities, alumni
events such as Pirates games, volunteering countless
hours as the chapter advisor for Sigma Sigma Sigma,
partnering with the university for educational work events,
and going back to obtain two more college degrees from
CU.”
The special interest growth also coincided with
curriculum developments. Clarion became the first former
state teachers college to offer a Bachelor of Arts degree,
a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and
master’s degrees in several fields.
The year 1967 also saw centennial celebrations with
special events and speakers.

Thus began a golden era for Clarion University’s
organizations and athletics, with students winning awards
and acclaim. The first women’s athletic teams were
intramural in the late 1960s, but became official a few
years later.
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NEW INSTITUTIONS AND FACES
Unionization became part of the university culture in
1969 with the Association of Pennsylvania State Colleges
and University Faculty and the American Federation of
State, County and Municipal Employees becoming official
representation for two groups of employees across the
State System.
Another institution soon became a staple of university
culture. The Clarion State College Foundation was formed
Dec. 8, 1969, as a way to facilitate donations to the university.
Now known as the Clarion University Foundation, Inc.,
the foundation has raised more than $65 million in private
dollars and more than $93 million in total support to the
university since its inception. Some of the foundation’s
most notable projects include Reinhard Villages and the
Suites on Main apartment-style residential complexes.
Former President Dr. Diane Reinhard praised the work
of the foundation during her tenure. “They provided outstanding leadership for this university,” Reinhard said.
Reinhard said during her time as president the foundation had a hand in two specific successful ventures: The
Comprehensive Capital Campaign raised 40 percent more
than its goal, and the foundation developed ways to fund
better housing. The foundation continues to this day to
raise money and conduct a diverse set of special projects,
all in support of the university.

Clarion University Foundation, Inc.
When Gemmell retired in 1975, the university was
on good terms with the community and maintained
a steady student population.
Gemmell’s lengthy time at Clarion left an impression at the university and on its students.
Alumni Ralph Zema (’76, geography) shared a
story of Gemmell from when he was a freshman.
Zema said he was seated in Hart Chapel to see a
show and was dressed down in comfortable clothes
when Gemmell and his family and some colleagues
sat all around him.
“I sort of wanted to leave ASAP because I felt so
out of place. The group started introducing themselves and giving their titles within the college. When
asked who I was, I told them my name and that I

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was ‘just a student.’ The college president immediately
remarked, ‘No, no. You are not just a student: You are the
reason why we have this institution and why all of us here
have a job.’ We all laughed a bit and, even though I still
felt uncomfortable being there, it gave me a whole new
perspective on Clarion, its administration, and its role in
my life.”
At the retirement of Gemmell, Dr. Elizabeth Rupert,
dean of library, media and information sciences, served as
interim president before Dr. Clayton Sommers became the
11th president.
Sommers’ tenure was one of keeping the status quo
and maintaining strict budgets.
Just before Dr. Thomas A. Bond arrived, another
prominent Clarion figure would arrive on the scene – Ernie
the Eagle. Ernie made his debut in 1979, according to the
Clarion Alumni Bulletin, which also reported that Denny
Morelli was inside the first mascot costume. The costume
was criticized as looking more like a chicken than a Golden
Eagle.
In the 1986 edition of the Sequelle, writer Sue Folmer
wrote an article called “What your mother never told
you.” One of the bullet points of that article was that your
mother never told you your “mascot would be a chicken –
granted a golden one, but still a chicken.”
However, this was just the first of many Ernie looks.
He’s undergone a variety of makeovers throughout the
years and has starred in some of Clarion’s music videos,
including the “Harlem Shake” and “Happy.”

BONDING CLARION
The Bond years were of considerable growth and change, both in the number and constitution of faculty and students.
According to Famerie’s history, enrollment rose to 6,600 students during the 80s. Venango Campus set an enrollment
record in fall 1985, with 235 full-time and 377 part-time students.
During this time, 80 faculty members and 95 staffers retired, opening the door to hire more people with terminal degrees, more females and more minorities. The student body also had become more diverse.
A notable change during Bond’s presidency was that state colleges were separated from the Pennsylvania Department
of Education in 1982 and became part of the State System of Higher Education.
Bond quipped that he was the last president of Clarion State College and the first president of Clarion University.
In an interview to kick off 150th celebrations, Bond said his presidency was marked by the establishment of the Bachelor
of Science in Nursing degree at Venango campus and starting the certification process for the then-College of Business.
Nursing continues to be one of the university’s most
popular programs. According to Venango’s history, in
November 1987, the school of nursing received approval to
establish a satellite program at West Penn Hospital in
Pittsburgh. In addition to the university’s Associate of
Science in Nursing offered at the Venango campus, a
Bachelor of Science in Nursing is available on the main
campus and features a hands-on training facility in Ralston
Hall. The university also offers an RN to BSN degree online,
a Doctor of Nursing Practice in conjunction with Edinboro
University, a Master of Science in Nursing: Family Nurse
Practitioner concentration, and a post-master’s Family
Nurse Practitioner certificate.
Bond is particularly proud of a fund drive in which the
goal was to raise $1 million over a three-year period.
“At the end of three years, we raised, $3.5 million,”
Bond said.
Bond said his years also included building relationships with the community by entertaining them before, during and
after university events. “My wife was a big part of it,” he said.
Most people also didn’t know that Bond was a pilot who would fly himself to Harrisburg rather than drive and served on
the Clarion County Airport Authority Board.

REINHARD YEARS OF CIVILITY
Reinhard assumed the presidency June 1, 1990. Her interest in applying to the presidency at a public institution was a
personal one.
“I’m very much a product of public schooling and universities, and I believe in the mission of public universities,” Reinhard said. “Clarion is an outstanding public university.”
Because Clarion is a public institution, Reinhard believes the institution should be a strong resource in helping regions
address problems and concerns. Much like former President Karen Whitney helped develop the opioid certificate, Reinhard
said during her time at Clarion, there was much concern over the growing HIV and AIDS crisis.
“The focus may change, but the role of the university in responding to the needs of not only the local community, but
the region and state, stays the same,” Reinhard said.
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Throughout her tenure, Reinhard believes her best
achievement may be one of creating a culture of mutual
respect “because most of the problems facing higher
education are complex, and they require a cast of thousands to become involved in their solution.”
Reinhard knows that many consider the fiscal situation
she dealt with to be the good old days, but any financial
concern can preoccupy a president’s thoughts.
“You were always trying to figure out new ways of gaining support,” Reinhard said.
One companion Reinhard could always rely on was her
cocker spaniel, Maggie, who was always on campus seeking
treats and affection from faculty, staffers and students.

community and its students. It would be a day on which
everyone would remember what they were doing when
they heard the news.
“For my generation, 9/11 will be spoken about to our
children like the assassination of JFK was talked about to
us,” said Jennifer (DeFazio ’02) Atkins. “I remember being
in Gemmell to get some coffee before class when I saw the
crowd gathered at the TV. As I walked over and realized
what was happening, the second plane hit. My stomach
dropped. I had just witnessed thousands of American souls
perish in front of my eyes. Our world would be forever
changed, and I watched it happen.”

During Reinhard’s time, renovations were completed to
Harvey, Founders and Montgomery halls. The Recreation
Center and the new president’s residence were also constructed.

When Reinhard retired in 2003, Dr. Joseph Grunenwald
became the 15th president after a long history of service
to the university. His positions before he became president
included professor of marketing and department chair,
interim executive dean of the Venango campus, director
of continuing education, dean of the College of Business
Administration, and provost and academic vice president.

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Whitney’s presidency would be
during a time that Whitney herself
called an “exceptionally challenging
period of higher education.”

“Karen Whitney has provided strong, steady leadership
as president of Clarion University for the past seven years,”
said board of governors Chairwoman Cynthia D. Shapira in a
statement. “She is smart, strategic and pragmatic.

During her presidency, the
university also demonstrated a
renewed focus on teaching, health and
human services, and business, which she acknowledged in
an interview kicking off the 150th celebrations.

Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson was
officially hired July 1 as the 17th president
of Clarion University.
She brings with her more than 25
years’ experience in higher education,
beginning her academic career as an affiliate faculty
member and clinical supervisor for counselor education at
Idaho State University in 1991. She also has worked in the
healthcare field, as both a counselor and registered nurse.
“Dr. Pehrsson has a unique set of tools that makes her an
ideal fit for Clarion University and its focus on professional
programs,” Whitney said. “They are a perfect match. I am
certain Dale will be a great addition to both Clarion University and the State System. I am thrilled that she is joining
our leadership team.”

Grunenwald said college presidents are supposed to
boast a list of buildings, enrollment numbers and services
as their greatest accomplishments.

Early in his career he helped bring the fiberboard plant
to Shippenville, and as president he was instrumental in the
construction of the Gregory Barnes Biotechnology Center at
Exit 62 of Interstate 80.

Her willingness to make tough decisions may have
caught the eye of the State System when she was asked to
become the interim chancellor in September 2017.

With the appointment of Whitney
as chancellor of the State System, Peter
Fackler filled in as interim president until
the next president was selected.

GRUNENWALD’S TEAM

Grunenwald said when it comes to challenges, every
president will tell you finances and enrollment management
are the two biggest concerns, and his years were no exception.

When Karen Whitney became the
16th president in 2010, she began her
presidency with a listening campaign.

“Because she has strong relationships across the system
and beyond — and is keenly aware of the challenges and
opportunities ahead — she will be able to hit the ground
running so we can continue our forward momentum.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Her time also included the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks
and the impact such an event would have on the university

“I can tell you that my greatest pride is recruiting the
finest people we could find and building a team that would
deliver the services that drew enrollment, that allowed us
to build those buildings, that allowed us to move forward,”
Grunenwald said. “That was an achievement that no money
can buy.”

WHITNEY’S TOUGH DECISIONS

“I’ve always thought we should have a science agenda,”
Grunenwald said.

Grunenwald said he continually reminded himself of
some other truths.
“I knew that everybody’s job was on the line and every
student was here to graduate. I thought about that every
Monday morning, and I’d take a deep breath in hesitation
in the hallway before I stepped into the office,” Grunenwald
said.
He also strongly believes in the Clarion promise that you
can become something that you don’t even know you can
be. “You can be that, whatever ‘that’ is.”

Pehrsson said she is excited about the opportunity to
serve as Clarion’s next president.
“I am highly honored to have been chosen as the 17th
president of Clarion University,” she said. “The strengths of
the faculty, staff, community and stakeholders are inspiring.
I will seek and welcome advice and support from all constituents. Clarion University has a strong reputation, and I look
forward to building on our long tradition of excellent teaching and service to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

a positive manner to everyone who needs and wants to
know,” Bond said.
Reinhard agreed with the listening advice, but added
to listen not only in the beginning of the presidency, but
throughout it. “Listen throughout your tenure, and listen to
a broad base of university constituencies.”
Reinhard also believes the people are what make Clarion
so special and still keeps in touch with many colleagues
from Clarion. “It’s a people business and you have to love
people,” Reinhard said.
Grunenwald’s advice had to do with humility.
“You’re never as smart as they’re going to tell you you
are,” Grunenwald said. Sometimes it’s important for the
president to get out of the way and let work get done, he
added.
Whitney said the next president shouldn’t lose focus on
what’s most important.
“Be flexible. Have a sense of humor, and the focus should
always be on student learning and student graduation,”
Whitney said.
For Whitney, her favorite part about being president
was commencement when she’d shake the hands or hug
the students who earned their diplomas.

The living past presidents each shared advice they had
for the incoming president during 150th celebrations which
began last fall.
“Listen. Be open and communicate your decisions in
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Last year,

Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson made a bet with herself:

“BY JULY 4, I WANT TO DO 2,500 MILES ON MY BICYCLE.”
In reaching that goal, she has ridden every day this
year. Every. Single. Day. Outside. In snow. On ice. In searing
heat. In whatever Mother Nature doled out.
Bicycling has been a part of Pehrsson’s life since her
father taught her to ride when she was four years old.
“My whole life, we would ride our bikes together. He
was riding 20 miles a day the week before he passed
away,” she said. “I feel like my dad is under my wings
when I ride.”
Wind beneath her wings is fitting for Pehrsson, who
became Clarion University’s 17th president – and a
Golden Eagle – July 1.

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PEDALING
At age 17, Pehrsson graduated from a vocational high
school in New York as a licensed practical nurse, then
continued to a two-year registered nurse program. She
pursued associate and bachelor’s degrees in liberal
studies, then, in graduate school, her attention turned to
education and counseling – she holds master’s degrees
in both. Her terminal degree is a Doctor of Education in
counselor education and counseling.
How does a career begin in nursing and lead to a
university presidency? It wasn’t intentional, Pehrsson said.
“The thing about nursing is that it’s helping people to
live their best lives,” she said. Her professional roles have
changed over the years, but the goal as a nurse, as a
counselor, as a professor, as a dean, and now, as president

of Clarion University, remains helping people to live their
best lives.
“I never set out to be a university president, but someone
would see that I had certain hard skills,” she said.
As someone who loves to learn, she didn’t hesitate to
dive deeper.
“About four or five years ago, when I first became a dean,
someone said, ‘You’d be an excellent president.’ So, I went
to a workshop, and I saw that it fit with things I’m good at,”
Pehrsson said.

SHIFTING GEARS
Just as Pehrsson’s past has prepared her to be
Clarion’s 17th president, the university’s past has prepared
it for her leadership.
“The university has a long history of serving the region.
Staff and faculty are engaged, talented and committed to
our students, and it is apparent in the care and attention
that is given to all aspects of the student experience,”

Pehrsson said. “The programs are strong, with an adherence
to national review evidenced by the multiple specialty
accreditations the university has deliberately sought. That
only happens when there is a strong commitment by faculty
and administration.”
Clarion’s focus on arts, science, education, health and
business appeal to Pehrsson, and she believes Clarion is
perfectly positioned to build upon these programs.
“Our academic programs are strong in all three colleges.
We offer three locations and online learning,” she said.
“We care, we are affordable, and we are accessible to
our students.”
As she begins her era of leadership at Clarion, Pehrsson
said her goals are “to listen, to learn, and to help all of us live
our dreams.”

“The bicycle is a curious vehicle.
Its passenger is its engine.”
~John Howard
CLARION UNIVERSITY
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BALANCE
“I’ve been married 40 years, so my family is very
important to me,” Pehrsson said. “Work/life balance is
important. I’m a very hard worker, but I try to play and
have fun at work.”
Pehrsson became interested in play therapy when she
was working with children after completing her master’s
program in counseling.
“The training I was getting was really talk therapy, but
children don’t have the same ability to tell a story with
words,” she said. “They have the same emotional range,
but not the same vocabulary.”
Pehrsson said for children, play is a metaphoric
representation of what’s going on in their lives. Through
play, children gain mastery and confidence.
“Play is extremely healing and restorative,” she said,
and not just for children. “One of the outcomes of having
play in my background is I know the importance of
restoring oneself so we can do the good work we’ve been
put here to do.”
Dr. Bob Pehrsson is professor emeritus of literacy
at Idaho State University.

She later wrote her doctoral dissertation on the topic,
and she makes sure to incorporate play into her busy life.
“I ride my bike to work, I do yoga, I play with art, do a
lot of crafts and create things. I also try to walk a lot,” she
said. “To me, that’s a gift. When you’re walking, you get to
use your legs.”

“Life is like riding a bicycle.
To keep your balance,
you must keep moving.”
~Albert Einstein

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L
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High
As part of Clarion’s 150th anniversary
celebration set to conclude this fall, the Golden
Eagle football team will open the 2018 season
Sept. 1 with a game at Highmark Stadium in
Pittsburgh. Clarion squares off with Shippensburg
with a 1 p.m. kickoff time.

As a sign of gratitude for the dedication of all
Clarion fans, and a desire to have as many people
as possible join the festivities, the game will be
free of charge to all wishing to attend. In addition,
tailgating will be permitted in the parking lots
adjacent to the stadium.

“We are excited to cap our sesquicentennial
celebration with this special event for our
student-athletes, coaches and fans,” athletic
director Dr. Wendy Snodgrass said. “Playing
against the backdrop of the city of Pittsburgh,
with the opportunity to welcome back our many
alumni from the area, I am confident this will be a
memorable day for our entire athletic department
and the university.”

Highmark Stadium is a 5,000-seat stadium
located in Pittsburgh’s Station Square, adjacent to
the Monongahela River. The hybrid-turf field is the
permanent home of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds
SC, a professional soccer team competing in the
United Soccer League.

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SPORTS ROUNDUP

SPORTS ROUNDUP

YOUNG TALENT BEGINS TO EMERGE FOR

CLARION BASEBALL
Nick Fugh

The Golden Eagle baseball team
saw a young squad gain invaluable
experience in 2018 as they build
toward the future.
The season started on a promising
note, as the Golden Eagles returned
from spring break with an overall
record of 5-8. They opened conference play with wins over Gannon and
California, but a tough stretch of 12
consecutive losses across the middle
part of April doomed the Golden
Eagles’ season.
However, the future can be called
bright in part because of the youth
of the Golden Eagles roster. Seven of
Clarion’s nine regular starters were
either freshmen or sophomores, led by
freshman utility man Nick Fugh. Fugh
was the only Golden Eagle to appear
in all 46 games, making 44 starts, split
between outfield and catcher. The
freshman led Clarion with team highs
in batting average (.320), hits (48),
runs (34), total bases (61) and stolen
bases (16). His 16 stolen bases were
one shy of the school record of 17, set
by Jerico Weitzel in 2012.
Fugh’s total was part of a wider
pattern of success on the basepaths
for the Golden Eagles. The team broke
a 32-year-old school record for stolen
bases, swiping 69 bags on the year,
17 more than the previous record
set in 1986.

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On the mound, nearly 60 percent of the innings were occupied
by freshmen and sophomores. The
Golden Eagles pitching staff was
led by second-year ace Jeremy
Frazier, who logged a team-high
62.1 innings and 41 strikeouts over
11 starts, going 3-7 with a 5.34
earned run average.

Chandler Palyas

Jeremy Frazier

Sophomore outfielder Chandler
Palyas (transfer from Marietta) led the
Golden Eagles in extra base hits (12)
and RBI’s (21) and was arguably one
of the best defensive center fielders in
the conference.
Returners Cole Shaffer, Dillon
Wolbert and Brady Andrews all logged
over 100 at-bats in 2018, with all three
recording batting averages over .280.
Shaffer finished with a .294 average
and was third on the team with 35 hits
making the transition to second base.
Wolbert, the everyday first baseman,
tied for the team lead with eight doubles, while Andrews finished second on
the team with 10 stolen bases.
Another bright spot for Clarion in
2018 was the emergence of freshman
Bryce Jackson, who tied for the team
lead with eight doubles and was second on the team with 19 RBI’s.

Freshman Nate Torbich threw
45.1 innings, going 2-6 on the
season across 10 starts and
finishing second on the team
with 40 strikeouts.

Junior transfer Branden Schlick
(Geneva) was dominant early in the
season before a hip injury forced him
to miss over a month of the season.
Senior Chance Miranda stepped up for
the Golden Eagles in 2018, tossing 37.1
innings, making nine starts.
The freshman trio of Dereck
Pritchard, Josh Kirwin and Kyle
Thompson threw a combined 70 innings for Clarion, gaining valuable
experience as they head into their
sophomore campaigns.

NEW FACES SHINE FOR
CLARION SOFTBALL
The Golden Eagles softball team
was represented on the All-PSAC team
for the first time since 2014, as newcomer Rebecca Kelley and junior Taylor
Nonnenberg earned the honors for the
2018 season.
Kelley earned the distinction as
a utility player, helping the Golden
Eagles as both a pitcher and a hitter.
She hit .293 on the season and ranked
second on the team with five home
runs and 14 RBI’s. Kelley was named
PSAC Central Co-Athlete of the Week
April 23 after a weekend series against
Mansfield in which she slugged two
home runs at the plate and collected a
win on the mound. At one point Kelley
bashed four home runs in five games,
an impressive stretch of power that
hopefully is just the start of a
successful Clarion career.

Nonnenberg, the speedy leadoff
hitter, led the Golden Eagles in hitting
with a .356 batting average and 37
base hits. She also swiped 12 bags on
the season, en route to breaking the
school record for career stolen bases.
She led the team with a .402 on-base
percentage as well, giving opposing
pitchers headaches with her ability to
take the extra base, seemingly at will.
Although left off the All-PSAC
squad, freshman Jessica Cartia had
an impressive rookie campaign for
the Golden Eagles. The utility player
slugged a team-high nine home runs,
along with seven doubles, while ranking second on the team with a .333
average and 35 base hits. Like Kelley,
the freshman backstop had her own
extended stretch of power, hitting
three home runs in as many games
at one point.

While the Golden Eagles return
much young talent, Head Coach Cheryl
Peterson will have to absorb the loss of
a pair of seniors in Cassidy Runyan and
Sarah Gossard. Runyan was the Golden
Eagles’ starting shortstop, starting all
37 games and finishing third on the
team with four home runs and 13 RBI’s.
Gossard was the ace of the pitching
staff for Clarion, logging 76.1 innings
over 19 appearances. The senior hurler
led the team with three victories on
the mound and was Coach Peterson’s
go-to arm in 2018.
Clarion will return their top four
hitters in 2019, along with pitcher Macy
Rubin, who was second on the team
with 64 innings pitched and led the
Golden Eagles with 23 strikeouts and a
4.59 earned run average on the season.

Despite fielding the youngest team
in the PSAC, the Golden Eagles were
competitive from start to finish, with
22 of their 46 games decided by three
runs or fewer.
Second-year skipper Anthony Williams will look to take a bigger step
forward with a more experienced
group in 2019.

Rebecca Kelley

Taylor Nonnenberg

Jessica Cartia

Sara Gossard

Macy Rubin
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SPORTS ROUNDUP

SOLID FOUNDATION SHOWS PROMISE FOR TENNIS
The Golden Eagles tennis team
wrapped up their dual-season
year in the spring, finishing with a
5-10 overall record at the conclusion of the spring schedule in
April. With just one senior graduating in 2018, the program has a
solid foundation on which to build
for next year and the seasons to
follow.
The season started back in
September at the Daemen
Invitational, but the women really
got things going in dual match
play in the fall with a 3-1 record.
They opened with a shutout win
over Penn State-Altoona and
followed that with a dominant 8-1
victory over PSAC East foe
Shippensburg. After closing the
fall season with another shutout
– this over Pitt-Greensburg – the
team took a break before gearing
up for the spring.

Maria Snyder

Clarion’s spring break trip
to open the second half of the
season was dominated by close
calls and a shutout win at the end
of the week. The Golden Eagles
dropped a narrow 5-4 decision to
East Stroudsburg on the
penultimate day of the trip before
coming back for a shutout win
over Shepherd. Though the team
struggled in most of PSAC West
play, they concluded their overall
season with one more dominant
victory, a 9-0 win over California
(Pa.) in the final match of the year.
Leading the way for the Golden
Eagles was senior Maria Snyder,
who posted the team’s best dual
match singles record at 6-9 and
led the team with a combined 14
singles and doubles wins. She
teamed with Alivia Arnold to form
Clarion’s top doubles pairing,
going 6-9 in the No. 1 singles spot
to lead the team. Katie Benson
was also effective in singles play,
tying Snyder for the team lead
with seven singles wins over the
course of the year.

GOLFERS

PLAY STRONG IN WEATHER-SHORTENED SEASON

The wet, gray springs that are a hallmark of
northern Pennsylvania once again played havoc
with the men’s and women’s golf teams in 2018,
with the unpredictable weather disrupting the
routines and competitions of both programs.
Case in point: The Golden Eagle women
were able to compete in just two events over
the course of the spring – the last two on the
schedule, in fact – as several tournaments were
canceled, not to mention scads of practices.
Downpours, saturated courses, snow … you name
it, and it probably happened.
It was a shame too, as the women’s golf team
had shown great progress in the fall season
under first-year head coach Gregg Fritz.
Freshman Morgan Johnson put together two fine
tournaments after the long layoff, averaging a
team-best 96.0 over the course of three spring
rounds. She paced the team in all three rounds of
spring competition and finished the full year with
the lowest average on the team, at 96.5.
Just behind Johnson was senior Elisabeth
Papa, who averaged a score of 98.0 over the
course of 10 rounds on the year, and sophomore
Christan Bowshier, who was a fraction of a stroke
behind Papa at 98.67. Bowshier shot what ended
up being the lowest round of the season for any
Golden Eagle with an 86 at the Allegheny
Invitational, while Papa’s 91 at the same event
was the second-best in relation to par.
On the men’s side, the Golden Eagles were
among some of the top teams in the NCAA
Atlantic Region, coming up just a hair shy of
qualifying for the regional tournament at the
end of the season. The competition in the PSAC
is rigorous, but the Golden Eagles held strong,
finishing 10th in the NCAA Atlantic Region in the
final regional ranking April 20. However, they
were kept from the NCAA field due to an
automatic qualifier from another conference
taking the final spot.

Katie Benson

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Nathan Sandberg paced the Golden Eagles through
the course of the spring, averaging a 78.9 that was nearly
two strokes better than the next-closest teammate, Nick
Giambrone. Sandberg shot the best round of the spring
for the Golden Eagles at the Edwin Cottrell Invitational
hosted by West Chester, carding a 73 in the first round.
Logan Reed and Mitch Faulkner were just behind him
with rounds of 75, the former doing so at the Oglebay
Intercollegiate and the latter at the Edwin Cottrell.

Alivia Arnold
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SPORTS ROUNDUP

SPORTS ROUNDUP

INAUGURAL CLASS JOINS NEW INDUCTEES AS
HOF MARKS 30 YEARS

Style Henry

Laurie Carter

John Hughes

Lisa McAdoo

EXCITING TRACK & FIELD SEASON SEES
NEW RECORDS SET
The Clarion track & field team
concluded its spring with an exciting
outdoor season that saw a number of
school records broken or challenged,
giving Golden Eagles fans plenty to
look forward to as the program continues to progress.
Perhaps the biggest driver of
that enthusiasm was Style Henry, a
freshman who burst onto the scene
during the indoor season with a
school record in the 60m and one
of the program’s best-ever marks in
the indoor long jump. Unsurprisingly,
Henry’s abilities carried over into the
outdoor season where she set two
more school records. The Erie native
topped Anna Pfingstler’s 100m mark
at the PSAC Championships with a
blazing time of 12.31, and later went
on to shatter Jessica Shomo’s outdoor
long jump mark with a 5.56m leap at
the Gator Invite hosted by Allegheny.

Speaking of field events, senior
thrower Kari Steuer concluded her
career in the Blue & Gold with another
scoring performance at the PSAC
Championship meet in May. She was
one of two Golden Eagles to place
at the meet, joining a scoring performance from Henry in the long jump,
scoring in the shot put with a toss of
12.84m.
Fellow thrower Katie Brest authored
one of the program’s top marks in the
hammer toss, throwing the implement
39.97m at the Slippery Rock Open in
mid-April. That ranks second in program history, just behind Carol Cress’s
record of 43.13m set in 2012, giving
Brest a clear target for her final season
in 2018-19. Freshman Ashley McCluskey
shined in the throws as well, just missing out on a top-eight finish at PSAC
Championships in the javelin but setting a strong foundation to crack the
all-conference podium in the future.

The future on the track also looks
bright for the Golden Eagles. Amanda
Batey joined Henry in the top-five in
school history in the 100m, recording a
12.43 at the PSAC Championships. Also
a key part of the team’s top 4x100m
and 4x400m Relays – along with fellow PSAC qualifiers Nicole and Courtney Young – that sets the stage for her
upcoming senior season where she
will be one of Clarion’s top returning
sprinters. In the distance events, five
Golden Eagles qualified for the PSAC
Championships, including Letizia
Collini (800m), Kayce Bobnar
(10,000m) and a trio – Haley Schaller,
Danielle Stoner and Morgan Manglaviti
– in the 3000m Steeplechase.

Kayce Bobnar

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May 4 was a night of reunion and
friendship as Clarion hosted its 30th annual Sports Hall of Fame ceremony and
dinner. In honor of the 30th anniversary
of the Hall of Fame, as well as the university’s sesquicentennial celebration,
the athletics department welcomed
backed the five newest inductees, as
well members of the inaugural Hall of
Fame class, and other Clarion greats
from throughout Golden Eagles history.

Wade Schalles, Christina Tillotson Sheets.
Pete Vuckovich

Dan Payne
Entering this year’s Hall of Fame
class were Laurie Carter (1981-84;
women’s track & field),
John Hughes (1982-85; football),
Lisa McAdoo (1985-88; women’s
basketball), Ken Nellis (1982-86;
wrestling/1998-2006; wrestling head
coach) and Dan Payne (1991-95;
wrestling).
After a Q&A session with each of
the new inductees, Clarion honored
seven past members of the Hall of

Fame, including inaugural
inductees Wade Schalles (wrestling), Pete Vuckovich (baseball),
Jim Alcorn (football) and
Al Jacks (football coach). In addition,
Corissa Desmona Mona (Gaffney)
Brosier (class of 2003 - women’s
basketball), Christina (Tillotson)
Sheets (class of 2006 - women’s
swimming) and Reggie Wells (class of
1990 – men’s basketball) were all
welcomed to the stage for recognition.

CLARION ADDS 147 TO RECORD PSAC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE TALLY

Letizia Collini

Danielle Stoner

Ken Nellis

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference (PSAC) announced its list of conference
Scholar-Athletes July 9, with Clarion contributing 147 of the
league-record 3,053 scholar-athletes in 2018. In order to be
eligible, the student-athlete must acquire a GPA of 3.25 or
better throughout the year.
Kari Steur

Out of the PSAC’s 18 member institutions in 2017-18,
there were 3,053 total scholar-athletes, which makes up 42
percent of the total student-athlete population in the

conference. Both of these numbers break the previous
record of 2,934 and 41 percent, set one year ago. The league
has now registered at least a 30 percent rate for 10 straight
years.
Clarion’s total 147 scholar-athletes also constitutes
growth over previous years. The Golden Eagles topped last
year’s mark of 146 PSAC scholar-athletes and bested the
2016 mark of 138 athletes as well.
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SPORTS ROUNDUP

SPORTS ROUNDUP

“We dropped the first set and it
sort of shocked us back to reality,”
Holden said. “From that point, we
improved during every set and every
match. There was never any tension.
We just wanted to go out there and
have fun.”

“It’s so important to immerse
yourself into the local culture and learn
how other people live,” Holden said.
“It makes the world smaller and much
more interesting.”

On the last full day of the trip, the
athletes taught a volleyball clinic for
local children, many of whom cannot afford even the basic equipment
needed to play. At the end of the clinic,
the athletes donated the gear to the
children.

“Young women that normally compete against one another learned how
to work together, play together and
win together, despite coming from different programs and systems,” Herron
said.

CLARION’S HOLDEN & VENSEL
JOIN PSAC IN INTERNATIONAL PLAY
When Golden Eagles volleyball
players Julia Holden and Leah Vensel
were invited to spend a week this
summer in the Dominican Republic
with other Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference volleyball players, taking
on national and local teams, they didn’t
need to have their arms twisted.
The origins of the trip date back
two years when Matt Darling, head
volleyball coach at Gannon, took a
group of PSAC volleyball players to
Italy for a week of competition. The
trip was such a success that Darling
reached out to Clarion Head Coach
Jennifer Herron and encouraged her
to take part in building and coaching
a new team of conference athletes in
2018. When the two discussed how
to construct the roster, they knew it
would take a unique group that could
jell quickly and adjust to international
rules.

limitation of substitutions. Whereas
the NCAA permits 15 substitutions per
set, international teams can only make
six such changes per set, meaning that
players often play in all six rotations.
In addition, the ball used in international play is different from the college one – “it’s spongier and harder to
pass,” Herron said – placing even more
emphasis on players that can excel on
both defense and the attack.
The team practiced in Clarion
before making the trip to the
Dominican Republic; it didn’t take long
for the disparate group to mesh.
“It was actually very surprising

how quickly we started to look like
a fluent team,” Vensel said. “Having
some older players with experience
in communicating and leading helped
us get into the flow pretty easily.
After one practice, we were working
together well.”
After a long day of travel to the
Dominican Republic, the squad played
their first match of the week against
the country’s U20 national team. A veteran unit with much more experience
playing together, the U20 team dealt
the PSAC athletes their only loss of the
week. The student-athletes won their
remaining four matches.

“Matt and I sat back and let the
girls completely run the clinic,” Herron said. “It was honestly one of the
coolest things I’ve seen in my years as
a coach. It’s an area that struggles with
poverty, and I think seeing that opened
our girls’ eyes about how fortunate
they are.”

The language and cultural barrier
was much more prevalent. When not
playing, the team stayed in a resort
in the capital city of Santo Domingo,
the first permanent European settlement in the Americas after Christopher
Columbus landed there in 1492. The
official language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish, though local dialects
and the influence of other countries
over the years presented an additional
hurdle for the athletes, until they took
the court, that is.

“I’m thankful that we had the opportunity to give back to the community,” Vensel said. “It was amazing to
see the excitement on those kids’ faces
when they realized the things they got
to take home with them.”

“One of the biggest benefits of the
trip was seeing how sport could break
through the language barrier,” Herron
said.
The team took in the local culture
and enjoyed some sightseeing. Darling
and Herron prioritized the educational
aspect of the trip by breaking the
team into groups and asking them to
present to their teammates on different aspects of the Dominican Republic.

Other activities included a catamaran
cruise to Saona Island, a tour of the
city and a trip to Christopher
Columbus’s grave.

Holden said that the team attempted to bridge the language gap with
“lots of smiles and positivity,” while
Vensel added that some things were
better illustrated through actions than
words.
“I was trying to communicate with
the kids verbally, and I think they
thought it was pretty funny that I
didn’t know much Spanish,” Vensel
said. “Even though we didn’t speak
the same language, it was great how
we could easily connect through the
universal game of volleyball.

“We wanted to represent multiple
teams from across the conference,”
Herron said. “We were looking for
athletes that could compete at a high
level, who could also be flexible. Positions were kept in mind, but the ability
to handle a lot of different scenarios
was important.”
Volleyball on the international stage
differs from the collegiate game in
several ways, one of which is the

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39

A look back…

ALUMNI NOTES Fall 2018
1972

Carole Briggs was one of 29
recipients of the Jefferson Award
for volunteerism, sponsored by
the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and
Highmark. Carole received this
award for 30 years of volunteering at Jefferson County History
Center in Brookville, where she
has served as executive director,
exhibit designer, grant writer, educator and curator. She was part
of the team that worked to turn a
historical society in a house into a
first-class small museum on Historic Brookville’s Main Street. A
retired teacher of gifted students,
she has authored several books,
including “Creamed Onions” with
Dr. Todd Pfannestiel, and writes
columns for local newspapers and
websites, all pertaining to rural
Jefferson County. Carole resides
in Brookville.

1980

Jeff Schmeck is retiring in San
Antonio with his wife, Kim, after a
39-year career.

1988

Rev. Scott and Linda
(Loichinger) Schul reside in State
College with their children,
Annika and Emilio. Scott is senior
pastor of Grace Lutheran Church,
State College.

1991

Submit your photos on Facebook
or Twitter with #Cuhistory

40

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Christine (Grear) Nicholas is a
parks and recreation coordinator
for Hatfield Township She resides
in Pennsburg with her husband,
Michael, and children, Emma
and Sydney.

1993

Kelly Lawton, principal of
Luray Middle School, has
been selected as the Virginia
Middle School Association
Outstanding Educator of
the Year for 2016-17. Barbara
Nichols, President of VMSA,
surprised Ms. Lawton with
the announcement in front of
her students and faculty at
the Annual Awards Assembly
on Thursday, June 8, 2017. In
her presentation remarks, Ms.
Nichols drew attention to the
appropriate middle school
practices in place at Luray
Middle School that caught the
eye of the selection committee, including a strong advisory program. Ms. Lawton was
presented the award at the
Virginia Middle School Association’s annual conference on
October 2017 at James Madison University. She resides in
Stanley, Va.

2000

Dr. Chris and Jennifer (Kibler)
Davis reside in Toledo, Ohio,
with their children: Emma,
Noah, Addison, Kristen, Victoria and Carter. Chris is a chief
information officer and assistant professor of education at
Lourdes University.

2004

Katie (Brose) Isacco is an
executive administrative assistant for Summit Academy,
Herman. She resides in Cabot
with her husband, Dan.

2006

Jonathan (’05) and Jessica
(Lowden) Stiffy reside
in Canonsburg with their
children: Taylor, Madelyn and
Emma. Jessica is a therapeutic
emotional support teacher for
the Canon-McMillan School
District, Canonsburg.

1995

Scott Brown is a high school
guidance counselor for
Pymatuning Valley Schools.
Andover, Ohio. He resides in
Warren, Ohio, with his wife,
Amy.

1996

Dr. Sean Boileau is a behavioral health services director at
APLA Health & Wellness (AIDS
Project LA), West Hollywood,
Calif.

CLARION UNIVERSITY
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41

WE WANT TO

know about YOU!

MARRIAGES
Casey Dunleavy ’13 and
Lauren Szoszorek ’15,
March 3, 2018

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

2008

Jesse (‘12) and Meghan (Jacobs M.S.
’12) Snyder reside in San Antonio,
Texas. Meghan is a speech language
pathologist for assessment intervention
management, San Antonio.
Jake (’07) and Valerie (Shingledecker
M.S. ‘09) Kepler reside in Montrose,
Colo. Valerie is a speech language
pathologist in nursing homes,
helping adults with dementia,
strokes, Parkinson’s disease, difficulty
swallowing and other neurological
diseases. She has taught dance,
specifically hip-hop and jazz, to
children ages 8-18 for six years. The
speech pathology career allows the
flexibility needed to teach dance in the
evenings. While a student at Clarion
University, Valerie was a member of

William Krausmann ’05 and Carrie
Hillmar, April 21, 2018

the hip-hop dance team.

Philippi.

2010

2013

Michael (’11) and Danielle (DiPerna)
Bryan reside in Poland, Ohio, with
their daughter, Aubrey. Danielle is an
outreach advisor for Eastern Gateway
Community College, Youngstown.
Daniel Lewis is a librarian/head of
reference for Capital Community
College, Hartford, Conn. He resides in
New Britain, Conn.
Shawna Lind was recently named
assistant registrar at Clarion University. She resides in Pittsburgh.
Craig and Samantha (Petroff ’11)
Butler reside in Philippi, W.Va., with
their sons, Theodore and Lincoln.
Craig is an associate athletic director
for communications and marketing
for Alderson Broaddus University,

Christina Loscar is a newscast
producer of the 6 p.m. news for
WBAL-TV, Baltimore. She resides in
Baltimore.

2014

Amanda Platt is employed with the
Baltimore City Public Schools. She
resides in Baltimore.

2015

Madison Shobert is a systems
administrator for Miller Welding and
Machine Company, Brookville. She
resides in Punxsutawney.
Kaiti Capurro is an education coordinator for Huntington Learning
Center, Harrisburg. She resides in
Harrisburg.

IN MEMORIAM
1940s

1970s

1990s

Jane (Smathers ’48) Hindman,
May 10, 2018

Robert Mongiello (’71),
March 22, 2018

Cathy (Bish ’92) Lieberum,
July 3, 2018

Mary Resch (’72),
June 18, 2017

Michael Vrable (’95),
July 3, 2018

Richard Hawkins (’74),
March 23, 2018

Jennifer Gabany (’99),
May 20, 2018

Lynne (Wagner ’75) Basista,
April 20, 2018

Patricia Brison (’99),
June 6, 2018

Lois (Hlava ’76) Barber,
July 5, 2018

Steven Kiley (’99),
July 2, 2018

1950s
Michael Petruska (’51),
May 31, 2018
Barbara (Heasley ’53) Kuhns,
April 7, 2018
Harvey Shapiro (’55),
June 30, 2018
Twila Wollaston (’58),
May 31, 2018
Sandra Adams (’59),
May 8, 2018
Carol (Hogue ’59) McCartney,
June 28, 2018

FALL 2018
WWW.CLARION.EDU

James Marsh (’77),
Feb. 7, 2018

2000s
Pamela Brown-Tate (’03),
July 15, 2018

1960s

1980s

James Dunn (’60),
Oct. 19, 2017

Kathleen Smith (’81),
March 8, 2018

Joseph Hancharick (’65),
May 28, 2018

Elizabeth (Matson ’83) Stephenson,
Sept. 26, 2017

Nicholas Rebick (’65),
June 26, 2018

Christine (Harley ’83) Anderson,
April 8, 2018

Brad Johnson, April 3, 2018

Jack Dittman (’66),
June 16, 2016

Judith (Johnston ’84) Mushinski,
April 16, 2018

Kenneth Vayda, April 18, 2018

Marilyn Flath (’67),
March 30, 2018

Dyann (Best ’89) Carroll,
June 11, 2018

M. Janice Ditz, May 3, 2018

Sandra (Bealko ’67) Johnson,
April 11, 2018

42

Michael Robbins (’77),
Nov. 21, 2017

Friends
Janice Lutz, Nov. 21, 2017
Orpha Stewart, Dec. 5, 2017
Larry Bish, March 29, 2018
Paul Daugherty, April 4, 2018
Patricia Steffee, April 20, 2018
David Kahle, May 11, 2018
Gordon Rice, June 13, 2018
CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

43

CLARION
CLARION
CLARION
UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY

WILLIAM

ROMAN

William Mark Shingledecker, son
of Moira (Brown ’10, M.Ed. ’17)
and Daniel Shingledecker, born
April 18, 2018

SOPHIE

PAXTON

Roman James Espey, son of Ian
Espey and Margaret “Margie”
Savolskis (’04),
born July 30, 2017

PENELOPE

Paxton Augustine LaCovey,
son of Ryan (’11) and Chelsea
(Campbell, ’11, MS ‘13) LaCovey,
born June 2, 2017

NATHAN

AUBREY

Nathan Lee Sheaffer, son of
Brett (’07) and Lizzie
(Suwala ’10) Sheaffer,
born March 14, 2018

Aubrey Mae Bryan, daughter
of Michael (’11) and Danielle
(DiPerna ’10) Bryan,
born Aug. 31, 2017

LINCOLN

LANDEN

Our gift to baby Eagles of Clarion alumni is a dashing new bib!
To receive a bib, visit www.clarion.edu/babybib and complete
the online form. 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.
Questions?
Call the Office of Alumni Engagement at 814-393-2572.

Sophie Marlene Brocious,
daughter of Daniel (’08) and
Shaina (McManigle ’08,
MS ’09) Brocious,
born March 26, 2018

MASON

Mason Warren Maloney, son of
Chris and Katie
(Warren ’03) Maloney,
born Aug. 12, 2017

44

FALL 2018
WWW.CLARION.EDU

Penelope Quinn Dusenberry,
daughter of Stephen and Erin
(Dispennett ’98) Dusenberry,
born March 26, 2018

LUCA

Luca William Schrader, son of
Chad and Rachel
(Slater ’12) Schrader,
born Dec. 19, 2017

Lincoln Irene Berezansky,
daughter of Nathan and Britney
(Olsavsky ’09) Berezansky,
born April 21, 2018.

Landen Lindsey Jackson, son of
Joe and Kelsey
(Kimmell ’06) Jackson,
born Oct. 4, 2017

CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

45

students

EXAMINE LEGAL ISSUES IN LAW JOURNAL

The College of Business Administration and Information Sciences published the
first edition of Clarion University Law Journal. The 52-page journal is the
culmination of a class project for Advanced Legal Writing and Research.
Dr. C. Frank Shepard, associate professor of finance and instructor of the class,
said law journals contain advanced legal research on topics of interest to legal
professionals and anyone interested in the current state of our legal system.
“Students selected their own topics based on what they considered to be the
most relevant legal topics of the day,” Shepard said. “By the time they entered the
class, they had a thorough knowledge of the use of online law libraries such as
Westlaw and Lexis-Nexis.”

AUTHORS AND THEIR TOPICS ARE:
Paralegals and Access to Justice
John Eichlin and Frank Shepard

Human Trafficking: Plaguing the United States
Kaitlyn Vale of Greenville and Shawney Heffern, Franklin

Abuse of Civil Forfeiture in Our Communities
Kelsey Monro of Wall and Robin Rybczyk of Titusville

Justice for the Brave
Zechariah Lemke of Harrisville

Bad Boys Bad Boys; Whatcha Gonna Do? Whatcha Gonna
Do When They Come for You?
Austin Blose of Strattanville and Demetrius McKenzi
of Clarion

Gas Companies and Their Abuse of Private Property
Decklan Burkhart of Franklin, Nikki Deitz of Knox, Andrea
Larsen of Warren and Ben Trinkley of DuBois

How Gerrymandering Affects Elections in Pennsylvania
Jacob McCord-Wolbert of Lucinda
Breaking Up Families as We Debate the Constitutionality
of DACA
Kassandra Wetterwald of Shirley, Mass., and TyNiesha Perry
of Harrisburg

“The Clarion University Law Journal shows the extreme
talent, legal knowledge and skills of our students,” Shepard
said. “The students engaged in detailed legal analysis and
applied that analysis to the tough societal issues of our time.
This type of in-depth analysis and application will serve
them well in their legal careers.”

FALL 2018
WWW.CLARION.EDU

Pennsylvania State Representative
Donna Oberlander (’91) has completed
the 12-credit, online opioid treatment
specialist certificate program.

helpful in understanding the history of
this drug, how we, as a nation, found
ourselves dealing with this epidemic,
and treatment options.”

“As an elected official, I was very
aware of the opioid epidemic and the
impact it was having on the
commonwealth. I was intrigued by the
opioid treatment specialist certificate
program when I saw that public policy
was one of the components,”
Oberlander said. “I found the fourcourse certificate program to be very

Oberlander, also a Clarion University
trustee, said the online format enabled
her to complete classwork for the
certificate late at night, early in the
morning or whenever she found time in
her busy schedule.

and to promote economic mobility,
especially among low-income and
minority students. He developed and
implemented a national strategy for
increasing the number of degrees
awarded and for reducing the
attainment gaps among majority and
non-majority students at U.S. colleges
and universities.

Understanding Your Freedom of Speech
Hannah Dewey of Tidioute
The Oil War of 1872
Frank Shepard

The Clarion University Law Journal will always contain an
article on local oil history, according to Shepard.
“Not only is our petroleum history a large part of what
we are today, the publication of the law journal was funded
by the Barbara Morgan Harvey Center for the Study of Oil
Heritage, located on Venango campus,” he said.

For information about the online
opioid treatment specialist certificate,
visit www.clarion.edu/opioidspecialist.

FORMER GATES FOUNDATION DIRECTOR
SELECTED AS STATE SYSTEM CHANCELLOR

The Legal Status of Wrongful Birth and Wrongful Life Claims
Morgan J. Green of Allport

The journal is available electronically at
www.clarion.edu/lawjournal.

46

Oberlander COMPLETES OPIOID TREATMENT SPECIALIST CERTIFICATE

Greenstein said he is excited to take
on the new role and eager to work
closely with the board, as well as with
faculty, staff and trustees at the
universities to solidify our future and
fulfill our public obligation to our
students and the state.
The Board of Governors of
Pennsylvania’s State System of
Higher Education has selected Daniel
Greenstein to serve as the next
chancellor.
As director of the Postsecondary
Success strategy at the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation for the past
six years, Greenstein worked with
other higher education leaders across
the country on initiatives designed to
raise educational attainment levels

“This system took a bold – even
courageous – step two years ago when
it chose to take a hard look at itself,”
Greenstein said. “That effort to redesign the system has pushed the State
System to the forefront of innovation
nationally.”
Before joining the Gates Foundation in 2012, Greenstein spent nearly
a decade in leadership roles in the
University of California system, includ-

ing serving as vice provost of strategic
planning, programs and accountability
in the Office of the President.
He also provided leadership to the
Regents’ Commission of the Future,
focusing on educational and curriculum reforms designed to improve
student success, reduce students’ time
to degree and make more effective use
of the system’s constrained academic
program capacity.
Greenstein’s selection as chancellor
comes at the conclusion of a national
search launched in the fall of 2017 following the retirement of former Chancellor Frank T. Brogan. Former Clarion
University President Karen M. Whitney
has served as interim chancellor since
then, and will continue in that role until
Greenstein’s arrival Sept. 4.
Greenstein earned bachelor’s and
master’s degrees in history from the
University of Pennsylvania, studied at
the London School of Economics and
earned a Ph.D. in social studies from
Oxford University.

CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

47

COURAGEOUS

endeavors

MELINDA CARBAUGH
Melinda Carbaugh (’17) had been working as a respiratory therapist for five years when she decided to go back
to school to study nursing. She enrolled in the Associate
of Science in Nursing program at Clarion University –
Venango. In addition to her full-time job and schoolwork,
she was the mother of three-year-old and five-week-old
daughters. She graduated May 12, 2017.
Eager to take her boards June 20 and begin her nursing career, a motorcycle accident June 13 changed everything. She and her husband sustained major injuries,
but Carbaugh more so. She had a spinal cord injury and
was told that she would never walk again. She also had
a lacerated liver, a fracture at the base of her skull and a
punctured lung.
With determination to heal, she began rehabilitation. Fitted with leg braces, she began walking with
assistance of support staff and a walker. Doctors were
impressed with her progress after a May 2018 MRI. There
was still bruising in the area of her spinal injury, yet they
were hopeful that she might regain more feeling and
movement.
Carbaugh continued to study for her nursing
boards. She passed the licensing exam in January
2018. She is not currently working, but she has a spot as
an emergency room nurse at UPMC Northwest when she is
able to begin. She continues with rehab three days a week
and now walks with long leg braces.
She is optimistic, positive and strong. What many
people take for granted, she finds precious and rewarding.
“I take care of my children, I enjoy working in my gardens and, with the assistance of my husband to get onto
the lawn mower, can cut the grass.”

Your gift

matters
to Katlyn.

Melinda, supported by leg braces, stands with
daughters Vivian and Meredith and husband Ben.

Carbaugh is an eight-year Army veteran,
serving 12 months in Iraq under Operation
Iraqi Freedom from 2005 to 2006.
She is a wife, mother and survivor.

Carbaugh continues to plan her future.
“I want to be working as a nurse in the next year. I want
to be walking and fully mobile,” she said. “I am beginning
to research education programs to allow me to earn my
master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner. In five years
I want to be working as an FNP.”

48

FALL 2018
WWW.CLARION.EDU

How are you funding your education?
I fund my education mostly through
scholarships I have received and
through private loans.

What are your career plans?
My goal is to be hired as an RN at the
Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh to
eventually work as a pediatric
oncology nurse.

I also work at the phonathon and
tutoring center on campus, and at
the hospital on weekends and during
breaks.

What have you liked about working at
the Clarion University phonathon?
My favorite thing about working with
the phonathon is that I have realized
how scholarships are actually funded.
It has made me so much more thankful because I know it can take a lot of
people to make a big thing happen,
which is why I’m passionate about
scholarships and paying it forward!

YOUR GIFT TO CLARION UNIVERSITY CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS LIKE KATLYN.
No matter which department or scholarship you support, no matter the size, your gift makes a difference.

She derives strength from a Bible verse, “I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13
“After what we have been through, both my husband
and I, and the miraculous healing that we have both had, I
believe God has a plan for everyone.”

Name: Katlyn Bonifay
Major: Nursing
Year: Senior
Hometown: Kersey, PA

To make a gift today, go to clarion.edu/givenow
Melinda’s brother, Bryan Chanson, and father, Paul Chanson,
visit Melinda in the hospital after her accident.

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

Homecoming
CLARION UNIVERSITY

2018

October 5-7, 2018

For a full schedule of events and to register visit
www.clarion.edu/homecoming.
Questions? Contact 814-393-2572 or alumni@clarion.edu.