fall 2011 - cal u review

LEADERS FOR LIFECal U expands its commitmentto leadership development

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The California University of Pennsylvania MagazineCAL U REVIEW Vol. 39 - No. 4The Cal U Review is publishedquarterly by the Office of Marketing and University Relationsand is distributed free. Third classpostage paid at California.

These days, we’re all looking to spend our money wisely. More than ever,we want to make sound investments and receive good value for every dollar.

That’s one reason that students and their families are choosing Cal U.Universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education offer

the most affordable four-year baccalaureate degree programs in the state.That makes PASSHE universities a great value — but there’s more.

At Cal U, nearly 85 percent of eligible academic programs are accreditedby a nationally recognized accrediting agency. Accreditation affirms that aprogram meets the highest quality standards. It offers assurance that Cal U is preparing students to succeed in the 21st-century workplace.

The Career Advantage program further reflects our mission of buildingcharacter and careers. This four-year plan encourages all Cal U students to explore career options, gain valuable job experience and fine-tune theirjob-search skills before graduation.

The door to Career Services remains open to alumni, too, and a careercounselor specializes in assisting experienced workers. This lifelong benefit is available to every Cal U graduate.

Beginning this semester, all students also have access to the Cal U Leader for Life program. This multi-level leadership process, based on Dr. Stephen R. Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and the Great Work, Great Careers program, equips students to be effective leadersthroughout their lives.

Students who take advantage of these programs receive added value for their investment in higher education.

Cal U has been investing, too. Over the years, the University has improved the quality of student life by following a $250 million master plan that has transformed our campus. Our nationally recognized residencehalls, quality food service and ’round-the-clock health center are just some of the amenities our students enjoy.

Last fall, Cal U embarked on a project to equip 70 classrooms with the latest “smart” technology and install a more robust Wi-Fi system that reaches every corner of our campus. These upgrades support our Cal U Fusion initiative, which is redefining the role of technology in teaching, learning and life.

All this, and more, makes Cal U a great value for our students and their families. And through the University’s continuous improvementprocess, we work tirelessly to enhance the value of every Cal U degree.

No matter when you received your diploma, I invite you to stay connected with your alma mater. Our active alumni find that Cal U offers rewarding opportunities for fellowship and service.

With warm regards,

Angelo Armenti, Jr.PresidentCalifornia University of Pennsylvania

CHANCELLORDr. John C. Cavanaugh

BOARD OF GOVERNORSGuido M. Pichini, chairmanMarie Conley Lammando, vice chairAaron Walton, vice chair Leonard B. Altieri IIIRep. Matthew E. Baker Jennifer Branstetter (designee for Gov. Corbett)

Gov. Tom Corbett Sarah C. Darling, student memberRep. Michael K. Hanna Ronald G. Henry

CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIADr. Angelo Armenti, Jr., presidentGeraldine M. Jones, provost and vice president for Academic AffairsDr. Lenora Angelone, vice president for Student Affairs Dr. Charles B. Mance, vice president for University Technology ServicesRon Huiatt, vice president for University Development and Alumni RelationsRobert Thorn, interim vice president for Administration and FinanceCraig Butzine, vice president for Marketing and University Relations

COUNCIL OF TRUSTEESRobert J. Irey, chairLawrence Maggi ’79, vice chair Peter J. Daley II ’72, ’75James T. Davis ’73Annette GanassiAutumn Harris, student trusteeLeo Krantz

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORSTim Gorske ’62, presidentLorraine Vitchoff ’74, vice presidentBarbara (Williams) Fetsko ’75, ’83, secretaryDeanne (Sovich) Zelenak ’79, treasurerHarry Serene ’65, immediate past presidentRoger M. Angelelli ’64Colleen (Murphy) Arnowitz ’88, ’97Mary Jo (Zosky) Barnhart ’84, ’11Rosemary (Rich) Bucchianeri ’69Joseph Dochinez ’51Kimberly (Mahaffey) Fahey ’97, ’99Brian Fernandes ’99, ’00Christina (Kost) Fosbrink ’01, ’03Josh Fosbrink, ’01, ’03Paul Gentile ’62Alan James ’62Len Keller ’61Marc Keller ’94

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERSDr. Angelo Armenti, Jr., presidentGeraldine (Johns) Jones ’71Ron HuiattLeo Krantz

STUDENT MEMBERSCourtney CochranJosh Giffin

STUDENT ASSOCIATION, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORSAshley BairdHope Cox ’00, ’01Walter HarrisRobert IreySam Jessee ’90Bonnie KeenerKevin McEvoy

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERSDr. Lenora Angelone ’89,’92,’97 Dr. Nancy Pinardi ’95, ’96, ’98Leigh Ann Lincoln Larry Sebek

FOUNDATION FOR CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF DIRECTORSLinda H. Serene ’64, presidentDr.David L.Amati ’70,’72 vice presidentMichele M. Mandell ’69, secretaryPaul Kania ’87, treasurerRoger Angelelli ’64William R. Booker ’74Thomas Crumrine ’64 Nathaniel W. DixonRichard C. Grace ’63William R. Flinn ’68

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERSDr. Angelo Armenti, Jr., presidentTim Gorske ’62

EDITORChristine Kindl

WRITERSWendy Mackall Bruce Wald ’85Colleen C. Derda Jeff Bender

PHOTOGRAPHERSGreg Sofranko S. C. Spangler

Annette M. Kaleita ’55Gary Kennedy ’58Robert Lippencott ’66Lawrence Maggi ’79Michael A. Perry ’63Dr. Saundra L. Stout ’72Steven P. Stout ’85Dr. Lorraine G. Vitchoff ’74Ben Wright

Ron Huiatt

David MutichMarc Roncone ’03Shane SpeicherJenna TerchanikDr. Donald ThompsonMichael Wagner

Walter HarrisCory Stoner

2 CAL U REVIEW � FALL 2011

Jim Lokay ’02Lawrence Maggi ’79Don Martin ’89Dante Morelli ’02Michael Napolitano ’68George Novak ’55Melanie (Stringhill) Patterson ’82, ’88Fred Retsch ’62, ’66Dolly Rozzi ’64James Stofan ’71Lynne (Moltz) Stout ’94Tim Susick ’76, ’78Judy (Durko) Zilkowski ’77, ’83

Amy (Gardner) Lombard ’01Linda (Hootman) Serene ’64Dr. Michael Slavin ’74

Kenneth M. JarinBonnie L. Keener, student member Jonathan B. MackJoseph F. McGinn C.R. “Chuck” PennoniSen. Jeffrey E. Piccola Harold C. ShieldsRobert S. TaylorRonald J. Tomalis, secretary of education

Sen. John T. Yudichak

Michael Napolitano ’68Gwendolyn SimmonsJerry Spangler ’74Aaron Walton ’68The Hon. John C. Cavanaugh,

chancellor, ex-officio

i n S i d e

Classroom PartnersA new partnership, dedicated to Dr. Stephen R. Covey,will bring ‘The Leader in Me’ training to California Elementary School.

Journey to JoplinMembers of the Cal U Veterans Club make a fundraising mission to support their fellow veterans in tornado-ravaged Joplin, Mo.

Conference servicesExecutive conference facilities at Cal U offer a dynamic meeting environment for businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Two-wheelersUniversity Police say bicycle patrols give them visibility, mobility and a positive connection with the campus community.

Field of dreamsThe Phillipsburg Soccer Facility scores points with players, coaches and fans.

FeaturesDepartments

Cover sTorY:For its commitment to character

building and leadership training, Cal Uhas been named the world’s first

FranklinCovey Leadership University.Page 4.

FALL 2011 � CAL U REVIEW 3

Alumni CAlendAr 16 – 17

Alumni Spotlight 20 – 21

CAmpuS ClipS 22 – 23

pAying it ForwArd 24

SportS roundup 25

mileStoneS 29– 34

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Your review is oNliNe

The Cal U Review is available online in an easy-to-read format. Visit www.calu.edu/news and click on “Cal U Review” to see the

current issue or previous editions. “As Seen in the Review” also provides links to special online-only features!

Best in the Northeast

For the seventh consecutive year, The PrincetonReview has named California University ofPennsylvania one of the best universities in the region.

Cal U is among 220 “Best in the Northeast”schools profiled online at www.PrincetonReview.com.

Nationally, about 25 percent of the country’sfour-year institutions made the “2012 Best Colleges: Region By Region” list.

The Princeton Review profile notes Cal U’s “longtradition of excellence in teacher educationand a variety … of other programs.” It alsomentions the University’s “swanky studentdorms” and “peaceful” campus atmosphere.

Colleges designated as “best” are chosen primarily for their excellent academic programs,based on data collected at hundreds of institutions, visits to schools, student commentsand input from college advisers.


Because it incorporates leadership principlesinto teaching, learning and campus life, Cal U has been named the world’s first

FranklinCovey Leadership University. The designation recognizes Cal U’s longtime

commitment to character building and leadershiptraining based on The 7 Habits of Highly EffectivePeople and other works by Dr. Stephen R. Covey.

It also signals Cal U’s commitment to reaching Lighthouse University status byinstituting the campus-wide Cal U Leader for Lifeleadership development process and achievingmeasurable results among students, faculty and staff.

FranklinCovey confers “lighthouse” status on model schools that meet specific criteria and demonstrate improvements based on itsleadership model. The company recognizes 16 Lighthouse Schools worldwide.

“We are excited by this partnership and believe Cal U will be an inspiring example to alluniversities around the world,” says Sean Covey,the education practice leader at FranklinCovey,

where he also is senior vice president of innovations and products.

Covey announced the designation Aug. 3at The Leader in MeGlobal EducationSummit, presentedat Cal U. The thirdannual summitdrew more than600 educators from 26 U.S. statesand 14 countries.

University President AngeloArmenti, Jr. expects the Cal ULeader for Lifeprogram to make a lasting impact on the University and its students.

“As a 7 Habits instructor for more than adecade, I have seen the power of Dr. Covey’sideas firsthand. By positioning Cal U as the firstFranklinCovey Leadership University, we hope to strengthen the character-building efforts that are a core component of Cal U’s mission.

“We want to give every member of our campus community the opportunity to become an effective leader.”

Step-by-step processThe Cal U Leader for Life process was

introduced to freshmen and transfer studentsduring new-student orientation, before the start of fall classes. Seniors are the next to beincluded, followed by juniors and sophomores.

Similar multi-step programs are beingdeveloped for faculty and non-teaching staff.Eventually, parents also will be included in the leadership initiative.

Right now, Leader for Life begins with a Leadership Foundations module that studentsare encouraged to take during their freshman

Cal U named world’s first FranklinCoveyLEADERSHIP UNIVERSITYCharacter building goes online as ‘Leader for Life’ debuts

More than 600 educators from across the country and around the world filled Steele Hall for the ‘The Leader in Me’ Global Education Summit.

LEADERLIFE

Sean Covey introduces a video message from his father,Dr. Stephen R. Covey, at the2011 ‘Leader in Me’ Global Education Summit.

Words of WisdomThe 2011 leader in Me Global education

summit featured a lineup of extraordinary

speakers. Their messages about teaching

and leadership drew standing ovations

from the 600 educators who filled steele

Hall Mainstage Theatre.


or sophomore year. The one-hour onlinecourse introduces them to the 7 Habitsand asks them to begin work on a personal mission statement.

“This is an important exercise,” says Ron Paul, executive director of theCharacter Education Institute at Cal U. “It helps you put into words your corevalues and your most important goals.

“Leadership is within each of us, andwe need to choose to find our voice, leadour lives with purpose and inspire othersto see the leader within them.”

After completing the Foundationsmodule, students may take the 7 Habitscourse either in face-to-face classes or —for the first time — entirely online.

“I enjoy meeting students in the 7 Habits classes,” says President Armenti,who regularly volunteers to teach the traditional six-week program.

“But I realize that many people arejuggling jobs and family commitmentsalong with their studies. Putting the 7 Habits course on the Internet lets thosebusy students complete it on their ownschedule — and it makes the trainingavailable to our 2,000 Global Online students, too.

“The Leader for Life program will not only help them get a job, it will helpthem do their job,” he adds. “I believethat every student at every level can become a leader for life.”

During their junior or senior year,students are encouraged to completeGreat Work, Great Career, a 3½-hour online course, and meet with a CareerServices adviser for a career assessment.

Leader for Life participants receivea certificate for completing each step in the process. And they can record their accomplishments on their ActivitiesTranscript, an official University document that complements their academic record.

Capstone projectsStudents who complete all three

Leader for Life courses can qualify for Cal U’s highest leadership achievementby adding a capstone project.

Those who attend at least five Leadership Forums, meet for an hourwith a Career Services adviser andcomplete a service project will earn theLeader for Life certificate and a graduationcord to wear at Commencement.

The first Leadership Forum, held inSeptember, brought about 120 studentsto the Kara Alumni House for a presentation by President Armenti.

“Our world is changing at greatspeed,” notes Paul. “Education is critically important, but it’s just as important to develop leadership qualities, competency and skills.

“The Cal U Leader for Life process not only prepares students to becomegreat leaders, it also helps them to differentiate themselves in the market-place and stand out among candidatesfor graduate school. It adds value to their college degree.”

Tamara Alkhattar, a senior who’s majoring in political science, has set her sights on earning the Leader for Life certificate and honor cord.

A member of the University HonorsProgram and both a Student Ambassadorand an orientation leader, she alreadyhas taken the 7 Habits classes.

“It has helped with balancing academic and extracurricular activities,”Alkhattar says. “In my opinion, theCal U Leader for Life program is a greatinitiative to truly instill a sense ofstrength and values.”

The leadership award “looks great on a resume,” she adds, and may help at job interviews, too.

“Employers will see your insight and your demeanor and know you are a Leader for Life.” �

The effectiveness of early leadershiptraining is evident when a student fromthe A.B. Combs Magnet ElementarySchool addresses the education summitat Cal U.

“our children need to feel

confident in their ability

to make choices … and feel

confident in themselves.”

seAN CoveY

“Because of our long history

of preparing teachers, i think

it is important that Cal u

be involved as a leader in

the effort to continuously

improve our schools.”

ANGelo ArMeNTi, Jr.

“Treat children like they

have a Ph.D. of their own.

These kids need to find

their voice, become

leaders and start telling

their stories.”

eriN Gruwell,

“You can love people with-

out leading them, but you

can’t lead people without

loving them. … The people

you are teaching today

will someday teach your

grandchildren.”

sToNe KYAMBADDe

“shine your light on others

so they can see their own

worth and potential. As

our students return to

classrooms, we need to

greet them with messages

of hope and promise.”

Muriel suMMers

By Christine Kindl, communications director at Cal U

For video highlights of the 2011 ‘Leader in Me’ Global Education Summit, visitwww.calu.edu/news; click on “Cal U Review”and look for “As Seen in the Review.”

President, California university

of Pennsylvania

education practice leader,

FranklinCovey

Author ‘The Freedom writers

Diary: How a Teacher and 150

Teens used writing to Change

Themselves and the world

Around Them’

vice president, ugandan Football

Federation; featured as a Franklin

Covey model “transition figure”

Principal, A.B. Combs Magnet

elementary school, raleigh, N.C.

The start of a new academic yearmarked the beginning of a specialpartnership between Cal U and

the California Area School District. Through an agreement dedicated to

Dr. Stephen R. Covey, faculty and staffvolunteers from Cal U are providing the first full year of FranklinCovey’s The Leader in Me program to all administrators, teachers and staff atCalifornia Elementary School.

The Leader in Me is a school-wideprogram based on Covey’s bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.By instilling the 7 Habits principles, it aims to transform a school’s cultureto improve academic achievement,minimize discipline problems, increaseengagement among teachers and parents, and give students the skills and self-confidence they need to thrive.

“I want to do whatever I can to provide, encourage and inspire kids to take more of an active role in theirown education,” says Michael Sears,principal at California Elementary.

He expects the results to be bothlong-lasting and far-reaching. Studentsin grades K-4 will learn The Leader in Me principles, Sears says, then continue on through high school and perhaps attend Cal U, the world’s first FranklinCovey Leadership University.

“Then we get that (Leader in Meexperience) in return when they comeback to the school district as teachersthat we hire. It’s going to be a wonder-ful process where we have teachers who really understand the 7 Habitsand teach them to our students, and it will just spread from there.”

Three Cal U students — KathrynAshton, Darla Kurnal and Kelly Rogers— already are involved in communityservice at California Elementary. Eachof the future educators has committedto giving 300 hours of service as part of the AmeriCorps Community Fellows program.

They spend most of their time at the elementary school tutoring studentsin the Title I reading program. But thetrio will be involved in The Leader in Me

activities as their schedules permit.“We sat in on the initial training,”

says Kurnal, who is working toward a master’s degree in elementary andspecial education. “It was fascinatingbecause, as pre-service teachers, wewere able to see the educators’ point of view and to imagine how we mightuse The Leader in Me ourselves.

“I think it’s very helpful that the students are learning the 7 Habits whilethey’re young,” she adds. “These aredefinitely skills they need to learn.”

Dr. Kate Mitchem, of Cal U’s Department of Early, Middle and Special Education, was among the Cal U educators who introduced The Leader in Me vision at CaliforniaElementary. The team will return regularly throughout the school year.

“Our first presentation was on Aug. 24, the day before students were to arrive for the first days of classes,”she recalls. “As a former teacher, I knowhow many things are going on that day.But the teachers were all very positive,very excited and very engaged with the program.

“A lot of good things already are going

on at California Elementary School,”Mitchem adds. “After the presentation,the teachers’ evaluations were simplyglowing. They see The Leader in Me ashelping them do even better at meetingtheir students’ needs.” �


Principal Michael Sears looks forward to using ‘The Leader in Me’ process at California Elementary School.

Partnership links Cal u, California elementaryvoluNTeers will ProviDe ‘leADer iN Me’ TrAiNiNG

For ClAssrooM TeACHers

Tell me againThe leader in Me uses language that

children can understand to help them relate

the 7 Habits principles to their daily life.

Habit 1: Be ProactiveYou’re in Charge

Habit 2: Begin with the End in MindHave a Plan

Habit 3: Put First Things FirstWork First, Then Play

Habit 4: Think Win-WinEverybody Can Win

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be UnderstoodListen Before You Talk

Habit 6: SynergizeTogether Is Better

Habit 7: Sharpen the SawBalance Feels Best


A utumn Harris, Walter Harris and Bonnie Keener immersedthemselves in student activities

as soon as they arrived at Cal U. Now these seniors are among the

most visible student leaders on campus.All three say they want to leave a lastingimpression on the University — andthey hope their leadership activities will take them one step closer to successful careers.

Council of TrusteesAutumn Harris is all about business.

A business administration major with a marketing concentration, she’s addedminors in environmental science, management and finance to her academic schedule.

This year the resident of Coal Center,Pa., is the student representative on theCouncil of Trustees, the University’sgoverning body. But she still makes time for student activities.

“Clubs and organizations are where I met my first friends at Cal U,” she says.“I also believe they foster good academicretention, build an excellent resume,and provide a great atmosphere to practice your professional skills.”

Harris is president of the CaliforniaUniversity Choir and a member of the Society of Leadership and Success, the Student Accounting Association, the Future Business Leaders of America, the Student Marketing Association and the Senior Gift Drive Committee.

She also takes part in the Peer Mentoring program and regularlyworks with California Borough historicalsocieties and garden clubs.

“Some of us (students) choose tomake our college experience unforget-table, and many involve themselves in clubs and organizations,” she says.

“In the end, what you choose to do with your extra time on campusmakes up who you are and determinesyour legacy.”

Student Government AssociationWalter Harris wants to change lives,

both at Cal U and in the courtroom. President of the Student Government

Association and a board member for the Student Association Inc. (SAI), he has his sights set on a career in law.

With that goal in mind, he’s study-ing political science, with a minor intheater. He is president of the PeaceStudies Club and a member of StudentsTaking a New Direction (STAND), University Players, the Ultimate FrisbeeClub and the Black Student Union.

“I hope to leave a lasting imprint on my University and to develop alegacy that will influence and help students for years to come,” says Harris,of Manitou Springs, Colo.

“I believe it is important for individuals to do what they can to elevate the condition of their immediateenvironment, and involvement in theorganizations at Cal U has provided me with that opportunity.”

PASSHE Board of GovernorsBonnie Keener was appointed

this year as a student member of the Board of Governors for PASSHE, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

When she is not in class or busy in Harrisburg, Keener volunteers as a Peer Mentor and a leader for new-student orientation.

A liberal studies major with minorsin leadership and business, Keener hashelped to plan “The Big Event,” a day of service when students assist community residents. She also has been an organizer and active participantin the National Conference on StudentLeadership, convocations and MissionDay activities.

“I have always wanted to workin higher education, and I’ve participated in many different activities on campus to gain experience,” says Keener, of Edinboro, Pa.

“Hopefully, all the work I put in to being active on campus has prepared me for the future.” �

By Jeff Bender, PR/Web writer at Cal U.

Autumn Harris

Bonnie Keener

wHAT leADersHiPlooKs liKeTHree seNiors PlAY KeY roles oN CAMPus

Walter Harris


veTerANs MAKe JourNeY To JoPliN‘operation CalJop’ raises funds for vets in tornado-ravaged Missouri town

In the middle of summer, as students’thoughts were mostly on jobs or intern-ships and general relaxation, Cal U senior

Robert Marrone saw a news report fromJoplin, Mo.

On May 22, 2011, a tornado had cut a 6-mile path through the city of 50,150. It killed more than 150 people and injuredmore than 1,000. The twister destroyed 7,000homes and 500 businesses. It also leveled six school buildings, including Joplin HighSchool, and damaged four more.

“I was watching TV and saw how Joplinwas struggling to get ready for the schoolyear,” Marrone says. “So I thought it wouldbe a great idea to help the city in some way.”

Marrone — an Army veteran, past president of the Cal U Veterans Club, an intern with U.S. Rep. Mark Critz’s office, and a political science major — worked with Capt. Robert Prah, director of the Office of Veterans Affairs, to organize Operation CalJop, a four-day trip that raised money for veterans in Joplin who were affected by the tornado.

Traveling with Prah and Marrone wereMichael Virgin, a sophomore majoring incorporate and homeland security who servedin the U.S. Marine Corps, and Clarence“Bud” Brangard, a senior liberal studies majorand a retired U.S. Army Ranger.

The group collected donations at sevenAmerican Legion posts and one Veterans ofForeign Wars post in Pennsylvania, West

Virginia, Ohio and Missouri. They also visited the American Legion headquarters in Indianapolis on their way to deliver the donations to veterans in Joplin.

Operation CalJop has raised about $1,175 so far, “and we still have posts sending money,” Prah says.

“I knew it would be a big drive,” Marrone says of the 1,800-mile round trip. “But I don’t like it when people are forgotten. I didn’t want people to forgetabout the vets in Joplin.”

Utter devastationThe Operation CalJop crew was greeted

in Joplin by Legionnaire Howard Spiva, commander of the Robert S. Thurman Post 13.

“We’ve heard from people in 22 differentstates since the tornado, but we never hadanyone make a total commitment like they did at your school,” Spiva says. “I’vebeen in this for 40 years, and we never had people commit to helping their fellowman like this group did.”

He described the devastation in his city:“We have so many who were hurt. EighteenLegionnaires lost their homes. Two lost theirlives. One-third of the city was wiped out.”

Spiva’s Legion post has about 270 members.

“Those who are able are doing thingsevery day” for veterans affected by the tornado, he says.

On their way to Joplin, veterans unfurl the Cal U flag at the nationalheadquarters of the American Legionin Indianapolis, Ind.

Needs range from finding new homesto simpler chores: acquiring rockingchairs to replace well-worn favorites that were destroyed, or finding familiesin need of baby strollers after someonedonated six.

“Your group can go back and tell people exactly how bad it is here, andthey are 110 percent correct,” Spiva says.

Says Marrone: “The hospital in Joplinwas badly damaged in the tornado. They have a makeshift one set up thatlooks just like a combat hospital in Iraq.

“It’s almost revolting how much destruction we saw.”

Veterans helping veteransThis was the second road trip for

the Cal U veterans. Last year the clubtraveled to Michigan for the University’sfirst football game of the season. Alongthe way, the veterans raised more than$1,750 for Jackie Syverson, a Cal U graduate student whose husband waskilled while on active duty.

This year, the group started at American Legion Post 377, in California,Pa., where they were met by state Rep. Peter J. Daley ’72, ’75.

“It’s a fantastic idea, and so great to see these young men giving back toother veterans,” Daley says.

Ron ’79 and Rita ’80 Godsey, who aremembers of the Sons of the AmericanLegion and Ladies Auxiliary, also were atPost 377 to see the Cal U contingent off.

“Veterans are always there for eachother,” Rita Godsey says.

The group’s second stop was at American Legion Post 801 in Roscoe, Pa.

“For them to go out of their way tomake a trip like this to benefit veterans is admirable,” says Dave Biles, past commander of the post and a Navy veteran. “It helps them realize that there are people supporting them.”

Kerrie Gill Sr. ’76, ’83 is a 26-yearmember of Post 377 and departmentcommander of the Pennsylvania Ameri-can Legion. He was at the Legion’s na-tional convention in Minneapolis at thetime of the CalJop trip, but he expressedhis admiration for the group’s efforts.

“What’s interesting is the attentionthey paid to the Four Pillars of the American Legion — veterans affairs and rehabilitation, national security,Americanism, and children and youth.

“Their mission was very similar tothe National Emergency Fund, whichprovides financial assistance to AmericanLegion family members and posts intimes of natural disasters.”

Virgin agrees. “This trip was morethan just delivering monetary donationsto a town in jeopardy. It was about fulfilling the commitment every one of us has been branded with: Taking care of our own.”

Prah says the reception the group received at every stop was phenomenal.In particular, he cites Post 283 in Pickerington, Ohio, and a last-minutestop at Post 347 in St. Clair, Mo., as especially memorable.

“We stopped at these two posts onthe way back to express our thanks and update them on how things went in Joplin,” Prah says.

Other area posts that supported

the mission were in Charleroi and Taylorstown, in Pennsylvania, and in Wheeling, W.Va.

In a blog on BurnPit, the American Legion’s website, Prah posted some thoughts about the mission as his group neared Joplin.

“Since the University has adopted the three core values of Integrity, Civility and Responsibility, I have noticed that we veterans live (thosesame three values) and sometimes we don’t even realize it.

“We have sacrificed a lot in our many years (nearly 50 total years of active duty years between the 4 of us)but we continue to serve our nation in other ways.”�

Robert Marrone (left), president of the Veterans Club, makes plans with Capt.Robert Prah, director of the Office of Veterans Affairs, as the trip to Joplin gets under way.

By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications director at Cal U

State Rep. Peter J. Daley II ’72, ’75 talks with Veterans Club membersMichael Virgin (left) and Bud Brangard (center) at the American LegionPost in California, Pa.

Veterans Club members pose with the Cal U flag at AmericanLegion Post 22 in Charleroi, Pa.


or nearly 160 years, California University has been a place where

students and professors can open theirminds and exchange ideas.The scenic campus is rapidly becoming

a destination for organizations seeking the same dynamic environment.

Executive conference facilities, branded as River’s Bend, offer “fertile ground for fresher

thinking.” This year, clients lookingfor that rare combination of energy,inspiration and state-of-the-art facilities booked 87 separate events at Cal U.

“We can hold nearly any type of event here, with advantageouspricing and all the amenities andservices you would get in a big-cityhotel,” says Juanita Timney, a certified meeting professional and the executive director of UniversityConference Services.

The campus currently offers 100 meeting venues of various sizes, including fixed-seat theaters, banquet halls, multi-purpose rooms and20 “smart” classrooms equipped with the latesttechnology. Fifty additional classrooms will be

upgraded with smart technology by fall 2012. Cal U’s air-conditioned, suite-style residence

halls allow River’s Bend to offer 684 rooms and 1,407 beds when school is not in session.Catering packages range from refreshing meetingsnacks and beverages to multi-course gourmetdinners, all prepared by the award-winning AVI FoodSystems.

“Right here on campus, you have everythingyou’d find at a hotel conference center,” Timney adds.

Conference attendees can unwind in thenewly renovated Herron Recreation and FitnessCenter, which houses exercise equipment, an indoor jogging track, racquetball courts, a 33-footclimbing wall and a lap pool, whirlpool andsteam sauna. Guests can try out the golf simula-tor in the Professional Golf Management area,take in a movie at the Vulcan Theatre, view aSmithsonian Institution traveling exhibition in the Manderino Library Gallery, or ride theshuttle to Roadman Park and SAI Farm, Cal U’soutdoor recreational complex.

Soon, the new Convocation Center will add142,000 square feet of event space, including a6,000-seat arena and two executive conference wings with 16,000 square feet of “smart” classrooms.

Conference organizers find state-of-the-art technology,

amenities at river’s Bend

Fertile ground For FreSher thinking

F

Educators at The Leader in Me Global Education Summit enjoy a buffet-stylemeal in the Gold Rush dining area.


“I believe our meeting space is betterthen most hotels’, because we have the smart technology built right into the rooms,” Timney says. “In a lot of hotels, you’re sitting at a skirted table,sometimes in a ballroom. Our confer-ence rooms are designed specifically as high-end meeting spaces.”

Varied clienteleThe Cal U campus appeals to a wide

variety of organizations. The PennsylvaniaDepartment of Transportation and theSouthwestern Pennsylvania LutheranSynod held conferences at Cal U thissummer.

FranklinCovey presented its Leaderin Me Global Education Summit at Cal Ufor the third time, and Sweet Adelines International, a worldwide organizationof female singers, came to campus for afive-day training session for its chorus directors, judges and arrangers.

“Our attendees raved about the facilities,” says Kathy Hayes, director ofmeetings and corporate services for SweetAdelines. “They loved the proximity of the residence halls, classrooms anddining hall. They especially liked the residence hall — many said the roomswere nicer and cleaner than some hotels!”

Both PennDOT and FranklinCovey already have booked space for next summer.

Greer Parker anticipates a return visit, too. The principal of Cal-Allen Elementary School near Corpus Christi,Texas, she attended the Leader in MeGlobal Education Summit in August.

The University’s red-brick buildingsand neatly trimmed shrubs reminded her of her childhood in Georgia, she says.

“The campus is beautiful, and this

was the best conference I ever attended.The people are friendly, and the facilitiesare so nice and close by. It’s very comfortable here. I plan on coming back next summer.”

Support for scholarshipsRiver’s Bend is a practical alternative

to costly resort-style conference centers,Timney notes. Clients who choose Cal Udon’t sacrifice either amenities or service— and because conference revenue goesdirectly to scholarships, they have theadded satisfaction of helping studentsgain a college education.

“Cal U provides an ideal environmentfor learning, education and networkingevents on a beautiful campus, away from the distractions of one’s office or building,” Timney says.

“Events are under scrutiny these days,and many business leaders have reserva-tions about a large amount of moneygoing to high-end, resort-type locations.Instead, groups that choose Cal U aremeeting in an academic environmentwhere they are helping students.”

In addition to the five-person UniversityConference Services staff, Timney relieson the talent and resources of manygroups on campus. Facilities management,University technology services, diningservices and marketing staff all play a role in the success of River’s Bend.

And the support starts from the top.“From the day I was hired, President

Armenti’s support has been a big reasonwhy we are already off to a good start,”says Timney, who joined Cal U in 2009.

“It’s so important that our clientsleave here happy, and it’s a big plus when they see we have support from the highest level.”

That team effort has the Sweet Adelines singing the praises of River’s Bend.

“The staff was excellent to workwith,” says Hayes. “From the conferenceservices staff to the students, their answerwas never ‘no,’ but always ‘yes, I can helpwith that’ — and it was done with asmile. It was one of the best campus experiences we've had.” �

By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U

Cal U residence halls offer clean, comfortable accommodations.

Guests dine at the Kara Alumni House, an elegantlocation with a view of the outdoors.

Members of the Sweet Adelines hold a break-out session in the Blaney Theater, a 147-seat ”black box” performance space.

Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church,Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, gather inSteele Hall, which seats more than 600.


Did you know?

• In 2011, California University playedhost to more than 2,000 conferencingguests for a variety of events includingexecutive conferences, meetings andtraining sessions.

• Summer camps bring children and teens to campus. This year, 57 sports, academic, band and organization campsintroduced 4,310 prospective studentsto Cal U.

To learn more about River’s Bend executiveconference services or the Convocation Center at Cal U, visit www.calu.edu. Click on “Information for … Business and Community”at the top of the homepage, then look for “Conference Services.” To contact an eventplanner, e-mail [email protected] or call 866-941-7437.

T he chance to hone leadershipskills, mentor peers, tutoryounger students and serve

with nonprofit organizations: It’s a lot to expect from one serviceopportunity.

But 28 Cal U students are experiencing many of those benefitsthanks to a growing relationship between AmeriCorps and the University’s Center for Civic Engagement.

AmeriCorps is a national networkof programs that meets needs in education, the environment, publicsafety and other areas. At Cal U, students can apply to two suchprograms — Community Fellows or Scholars in Service.

Fellows pledge 300 or 450 hours to address needs in the areas of college access and success. Scholarspledge the same number of hours,

but this program includes more general areas of service. Students receive scholarships when theycomplete the programs.

“AmeriCorps programs are a wonderful way for our students to experience different service opportunities,” says Diane Williams,director of the Center for CivicEngagement.

“We want our students to develop a vision for how they wantto contribute to society and use these positions to develop the necessary skills.”

Last year was the first time Cal U was able to offer AmeriCorpspositions, thanks to the Office ofGrants and Contracts. Nine studentscompleted the program.

This year, Cal U has 23 CommunityFellows. The majority work on campus, in the Center for Civic

Engagement, the Veterans Affairs Office and the PeerMentoring program.

Ten others, all aspiring educators, are working as tutors in the nearby Uniontown, Californiaand Charleroi area school districts.

Four Scholars in Serviceare working on campus with

Greek Life programsand the Options@CalU drug and alcohol preventionprogram. One isworking with RiverTowns, a partner-ship between the Student Conservation Association andthe PennsylvaniaEnvironmentalCouncil that

seeks to promote riverside communities, including California,Pa., as recreational assets.

Two students participated inScholars in Service last year. One was junior Kelly Horrell, who earnedher hours at the Kiski Valley YMCA.She returned to the program this year as a Community Fellow who isassisting Williams in coordinating the AmeriCorps positions.

The other 2010-2011 Scholar inService was Lauren Kross, who gradu-ated in May with a degree in appliedsociology. She completed her hourswith the Washington Family Centerin Washington, Pa., and The Call toServe, a nonprofit organization thatpartners with other groups nation-wide to provide service opportunitiesto college-age students.

Kross and nine others traveled to five states over 19 days. Their projects included restoring an oysterbed in Wilmington, N.C.; completinga hurricane and tornado awarenessproject in Pensacola, Fla.; and cleaning up flood damage inNashville, Tenn.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetimething to do,” Kross says. “I may never do anything on such a largescale as this, but I will always want to volunteer where I can.”

Prior to her Scholars in Serviceproject, Kross worked in the Center for Civic Engagement as a Community Fellow.

“Lauren found her passion in service at Cal U, and now she is trying to find her specific interest in service as a possible career,”Williams says.

“We want to develop a culture of service at Cal U, and these AmeriCorps opportunities are helping to do just that.” �



students serve with AmeriCorpsPrograms help to develop a campus‘culture of service’

AmeriCorps volunteer Lauren Kross paints aporch for a senior citizen in Florida during a

service trip this summer.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime

thing to do.”

LAUREN KROSS ’11

PH

OTO

: Cou

rtes

y of

The

Cal

l to

Ser

ve


Enrollment continues to climb as students and their families recognize

the value of a Cal U education. With aheadcount of about 9,500 students thisfall, enrollment at California Universityreached an all-time high for the 14th consecutive year.

In keeping with Cal U tradition, theUniversity welcomed first-year students andtheir families on Move-In Day by lending a hand as freshmen settled into their residence halls. A picnic gave moms anddads a last chance to say good-bye beforenew students embarked on a four-day Cal U for Life orientation program.

The following weekend, students mingled with faculty, alumni and community members at the annual Party in the Park, featuring a Welcome

Back Picnic hosted by President Armentiand a performance by the Dallas-basedpunk-pop band Forever the Sickest Kids.

The party at Roadman Park, anotherpopular Cal U tradition, coincides with the opening of Vulcan football season andcelebrates the start of another promisingacademic year. �

BACk to SChool, CAliForNiA-sTYle

On Move-In Day, nursing transfer studentKrissy Donohue takes a break before organizing her room in the residence hall.

Cal U student Emily Dolph gets a little support from her friends during the Vulcan football home opener at Roadman Park.

Fans of the band Forever the Sickest Kids enjoy the concert during Party in the Park.

Alicia Patt, a public relations major (left); David Kalatshoff, a radio and television communications major (center); and Morgan Bright, a criminal justice major, join the Core Values Candlelight Vigil on the Quad.

Carly Graziadei (left) and Hayley Ettaro share a laughat the Cal U new-student orientation.

Parks and recreation major Rachel Hull shows her Vulcan pride.


The Cal U Fusion initiative has takenanother step forward with theTeaching and Learning Center

(TLC), a new resource for faculty members.“Cal U Fusion is about blending

technology with teaching and learning,”says Dr. Joseph Zisk ’73, who has beenappointed to lead the center.

“With laptops and smartphones andtablets, most of us have a computer rightin our hand. The goal of the TLC is tohelp our faculty use that technology effectively. It should help us becomebetter teachers, and ultimately improvestudent learning.”

A professor in the Department of Secondary Education and AdministrativeLeadership, Zisk uses high-tech tools extensively, especially as coordinator of theonline Master of Arts Teaching program.

And he’s an experienced guide to the fast-changing world of instructionaltechnology. Before teaching at Cal U,he spent five years as the technology supervisor in a suburban school district.

“That was in the 1990s, when ‘net-working’ was the buzzword,” he recalls.“Teachers were just beginning to see howthe Internet could be used in education.”

Now Cal U professors in all disciplinesare exploring effective uses for mobiledevices and “smart classroom” technology.These days, even face-to-face classesoften have online components.

“It’s called ‘blended learning,’” Ziskexplains. The University’s online learn-ing management system, Desire2Learn(D2L), is a component of every course.Some professors use D2L to post videoclips or PowerPoint notes. Others

might use it to publish a syllabus orgive feedback on student assignments.

Zisk and TLC instructional specialistCJ DeJuliis are preparing short videosthat explain, step by step, how to accomplish such tasks.

To supplement hands-on training,they also create online tutorials thatdemonstrate the high-tech equipmentbeing installed in 70 Cal U classrooms.

“I’m a teacher,” Zisk says, “and a bigpart of my job is to make technologyteacher-friendly. Faculty can come to the center for help, but it’s much moreefficient for them to pull up a how-tovideo on their smartphone.”

The TLC also is fine-tuning “apps” developed especially for Cal U faculty. One application keeps track of attendance.Another makes digital flash cards.

The customized apps are Web-based,so they work on most mobile devices.A text-based polling system is also in the works.

Teacher workshops and regular meetings with the Faculty ProfessionalDevelopment Committee (FPDC) will keep TLC projects aligned with faculty needs.

“Technology is always evolving,” Zisk says, “so part of my responsibility is to keep up with what’s current. I’llneed the help of an advisory committeeto be sure we stay on the cutting edge.”

For now, the TLC is housed in Keystone Hall. But Zisk and Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr. envision a “learning commons” where faculty —and eventually, students and staff — can exchange ideas and explore best practices.

“When we share among ourselves, we lift everybody up,” Zisk says. “Technology is always exciting, but it’salways changing. We can always findways to do things better.” �

By Christine Kindl, communications director at Cal U

exPloriNG TeCHNoloGY?FACulTY GeTs TlC

TeACHiNG AND

leArNiNG CeNTer

is NexT sTeP For CAl u

FusioN iNiTiATive Joe Zisk, Teaching andLearning Center director.

App keeps you in touch with Cal u

A new Cal Fusion app is available at no charge on Apple iOS and Android devices.

It includes the University’s popular“people finder” directory, a calendarof campus events, and links to Cal Unews and Vulcan sports. Users cancheck class schedules, track the Vulcan Flyer shuttle, watch Cal Uvideos or access the University’s mobile website, m.calu.edu.

The app was developed by BlackboardMobile, a division of education technology company Blackboard Inc.,with input from Cal U staff.

To download the free Cal Fusion app,search for “California University ofPennsylvania” in the iTunes App Storeor the Android Marketplace.

Two other Cal U applications also areavailable: Look in the iTunes store forCalUFusion, developed by Songwhaleand introduced last year. Or listen toWCAL, the campus radio station, with an app created by students andavailable on iTunes or the Android Marketplace.


Bike patrols boostcampus safetyuNiversiTY PoliCe TrAvel quiCKlY, quieTlYoN Two wHeels

They can cross the Quad, slip between buildings and ride up and down stairs. They can even roll into a residence hall.

The University Police Department’s bicycle patrol began its second year of operation this fall.

Riding their mountain bikes, officers James Jeffrey ’08 and Tony Gismondi ’06 are familiar sights on campus.

“It gives us an expanded option, because the bikes can go where cars can’t,” says police Chief Bob Downey Jr.“People don’t look for a bike when they are doing things they shouldn’t be doing. They look for the police car.”

Jeffrey and Gismondi both joined the Cal U force in April 2010 and volunteered for the patrol. In addition totheir police certification, both are certified through the International Police Mountain Bike Association, which requires more than 40 hours of training in bike patrol tactics, including a six-hour nonstop bicycle trip and lessons in how to ride stairs.

Originally from South Park, Pa., Jeffrey came back to Cal U after working with the Ocean City Police Department in Maryland. Gismondi grew up in Elco, Pa., and returned to his alma mater after working for the Metro Police Department in Washington, D.C.

The bike patrol is an effective addition to public safety on campus, Downey says. Construction zones, the parkinggarage and the expanded River Lot — not to mention Cal U’s steadily increasing enrollment — prompted the patrol.

Although the bike-riding officers perform many other duties throughout the week, they say their two-wheeled travels help them connect with the campus community.

“On the bike I am a lot more interactive with people,and I’m often asked for directions,” says Jeffrey, a longtimerecreational bike rider who estimates he rides 20-25 miles per week.

“Our response times are just better in certain situations.I’ve been known to ride through the front door of a dormand then out the side door. Students were surprised at first,but they are more used to us now.”

The officers sometimes ride their bikes at Roadman Park,especially during sports events that draw big crowds.

”People tell me they see me all over the place … becausewe just keep moving,” Gismondi says. “Unlike in a car, I canride right up to a group of people, talk to them, and makesure everything’s OK, because I’m getting a firsthand look.

“And people don’t see us when we don’t want to be seen,”he adds. “You’ll hear the engine of the police car or my keysjingling in my pocket if I’m walking, but on a bike, youwon’t. We can ride pretty much anywhere you can walk.”

Downey said he hopes to offer 24-hour bike patrol protection in the future.

“It’s working out well,” he says. “The bikes can get inplaces where cars can’t, and that’s a big advantage for us.” �

Bicycle patrol officer Tony Gismondi rolls through the Quad.

Officer James Jeffrey cycles across campus on his mountain bike.By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U

alumni calendar


GREETINGS, FELLOW ALUMNI,

Southwest NormalSchool, California

State Teachers College,California State Collegeand finally CaliforniaUniversity of Pennsyl-vania — my, how farwe have come!

The Class of 1962will celebrate its 50th

reunion next June during Alumni Weekend,and the class of 1987 will mark its 25th reunion. These milestones will be celebratedduring a special reunion dinner at the Michaeland Julia Kara Alumni House. If you graduatedin 1962, 1987 or any other year, I encourageyou to come and celebrate with us.

One thing that has not changed over theyears is the financial struggle faced by manyCalifornia students. It was not easy to affordcollege in 1962, when I graduated, and it becomes increasingly difficult every year. So amajor focus of our Alumni Association is fund-ing scholarships for Cal U’s bright, eager anddedicated students.

Where would you and I be today if not forthe education that we received at California?

President Armenti continues to share his message that Cal U is being “privatized without a plan” because of the disinvestmentof state funding for public higher education.

With higher education costs rising andstate support dwindling, many of our studentssimply do not have the resources to attendcollege. Those who do attend Cal U graduatewith increasing amounts of student loan debt.

It is up to us, the Alumni Associationmembers, to help support the current andfuture Cal U students, so they can continue to attend Cal U and benefit from a college degree, as we did.

To ensure the future vitality of Cal U, thestudents need our help. And you can establish your legacy at California with ascholarship that will help students.

Interested? Contact Amy Lombard. Shewill have your questions answered and getyou started. Class of ’62, ’87, ’99 or anywherein between — our time to act is now.

See you at Alumni Weekend 2012!

Tim Gorske ’62President, Cal U Alumni Association Board of Directors

DECEMBERSenior Gift Drive collection — Dec. 5-15Seniors staff a table daily in the Natali Student Center to collect donations for the Class of 2011 Scholarship. Future alumni, this is your chance to leave a legacy!

Hockey Night — Dec. 6 Join us for a hockey night in Pittsburgh! The festivities begin with a student and alumni reception from 5-7 p.m. in the Cal U Conference Room at CONSOL EnergyCenter, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins. An open skate at 7 p.m. lets you try out the Penguins’ ice. Then see the Cal U men’s and women’s hockey teams compete.

President’s Dinner for Graduates — Dec. 15 Winter 2011 graduates take their first step toward becoming active alumni withan invitation-only dinner at 6 p.m. in Gallagher Hall.

Global Online Graduation Reception — Dec. 16At 3:30 p.m. in the Grand Hall of Old Main, meet students who have earned their degrees through Global Online, Cal U’s 100 percent online program. Many of these students will be on campus for the first time and celebrating their graduation with family and friends.

Graduate Commencement — Dec. 16 Master’s degree candidates will receive their diplomas at 7 p.m. in the new Cal U Convocation Center.

Undergraduate Commencement — Dec. 17Bachelor's degree candidates will receive their diplomas at 10 a.m. in the new Cal U Convocation Center.

JANUARYAlumni Board Meeting — Jan. 21The Alumni Association Board of Directors holds its winter meeting at 10 a.m. in the Kara Alumni House.

Cal U Night at the Pops — Jan. 27Students and alumni enjoy an evening’s entertainment with the Pittsburgh SymphonyOrchestra at Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh. After a pre-concert reception in the Grand TierLounge, PSO conductor Marvin Hamlisch leads a performance of “Movie Music” andthe All-Star College Choir performs. Contact the Alumni Office for ticket information.

SAVE THE DATEAlumni Weekend — June 1-2Plan to join us for our annual Alumni Weekend celebration, when the Class of 1962will mark its milestone “Pioneer” 50th reunion and present a class gift, alumni awardsand more. The Class of 1987 will celebrate its 25th reunion, too. And don't forget the President’s Gala on June 2! Plans are under way for the 1987 and 1962 class committees to meet in late spring.

Send us your e-mail address at [email protected] to stay connected with the most up-to-datehappenings at Cal U, including alumni chapter and sporting events, campus lectures, student events and more!

Your gift matters

As 2011 comes to a close and we look to the new year,take a moment to remember that one professor, mentor or friend who truly made California a special place for you. Consider making a gift in that person’s honor this holiday season. Please knowthat every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference.Make your end-of-year, tax-deductible gift online todayby visiting: www.calu.edu/giving.

ALUMNI N E W S


Would you like to stand for election to the Cal U Alumni

Association Board of Directors? Or would you like to

place the name of a fellow alumnus on the ballot?

eleCTioNs will

TAKe PlACe THis sPriNG,

wiTH eiGHT seATs

To Be FilleD.

Candidates will be screened by the Nominating Committee for Board Members (NCB). All candidatesmust submit a nomination form, a brief essay and a color photo. Nomination forms must be received by the NCB no later than April 12, 2012.

For candidates’ qualifications, details about the nominating process and an official nomination form, visit www.calu.edu/alumni.

Alumni ambassadors

Working within the Office of Alumni Relations andAnnual Fund, the Alumni Ambassadors offer campustours and represent our current students at Vulcan Huddle sports events and at alumni chapter, regionaland on-campus gatherings. This year’s Alumni Ambassadors are (back row, from left) JonothanDashiell, Chase Loper ’10, Nate Dixon, Nick Thomasand Cameron Muma; and (front row, from left) Courtney Cochran, Liz Lynerd and Randi Miller. Next time you’re at the Kara Alumni House, be sure to say hello!

HoMeCoMiNG 2011

University President Angelo Armenti, Jr. poses with 2011 Homecoming Queen Ashley Gill and Homecoming King Corey Strennen during halftime festivities at Roadman Park.

Student Activity Board members Karlee Young (left) andJasmin Runner get hugs from the Pittsburgh Penguins’mascot, Iceburgh, during the Homecoming Parade.

AluMNi AssoCiATioN BoArD oF DireCTors

CAll FornominAtionS

visiT our PHoTo GAllerY

For more Cal U Alumni Association images, visitcalualumni.phanfare.com/2011. See pictures and video from recent events and explore imagesfrom years past, including Homecoming photosfrom as far back as the 1950s!

Browse the gallery or purchase your favorites. A portion of the purchase price benefits theAlumni Scholarship Fund.

FoundAtion mArkS 25 yeArS oF StewArdShip

For 25 years, the Foundation for California University of Pennsylvania has supported

the mission and goals of Cal U and itsstudents by providing stewardship of private funds.

An independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3)organization, the foundation solicits andreceives funds to hold, invest, administerand disburse.

Since it was incorporated in 1986, the foundation has recorded more than13,000 generous donors.

“The foundation is critical to gettingprivate scholarship help to our students,”says Linda H. Serene ’64, president of the foundation’s board of directors.

Donated funds are managed by thefoundation’s board, with advice fromprofessional financial advisers. Prudentinvesting aims to maximize long-term returns while maintaining an acceptablelevel of financial risk.

The board’s Investment Committeereceives regular financial reports, trackinginvestment performance to keep up asteady flow of support for the hundredsof scholarships awarded each year. Finance and Audit committees also monitor performance and ensure compliance with state and federal regulations.

“The foundation board is a dedicatedgroup of alumni and friends of the University who truly love California and care about its students,” says Serene,a board member since 2004.

“They have a real understanding ofthe need for student scholarships, and of the need for them to be prudent, responsible managers of the donationsthat are collected.”

The foundation staff, led by interimexecutive director Denise Smith ’88, ’89,handles its day-to-day operations andacts as a liaison with the Office of University Development and the Financial Aid Office.

“Since my arrival in 1999, it hasbeen wonderful to see the growth of the

foundation and how each year the board grows on the shoulders of the previous board,” says Smith.

Securing and managing private dollars is relatively new for schools inthe PennsylvaniaState System ofHigher Education.Until the mid-1980s, these publicinstitutions werenot permitted to solicit privatedonations.

But thanks togenerous alumniand other friends,the University’s endowment — thepool of funds thatgenerates income for scholarships andother needs — has grown steadily in recent years.

In 1992, when Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr.arrived to serve as President of Cal U, the market value of the endowment was about $650,000. This year, it exceeds $20 million.

In the 2010-2011 academic year

alone, the foundation awarded morethan 275 scholarships to Cal U students.

The foundation guards donors’ privacy, but students are encouraged topen thank-you notes to their benefactors.

A scholarship recipientspeaks at everyfoundation board meeting, and Serenesays she’s gratified to hear what a difference the assistance can make.

In the coming years,the foundation plans to increase the numberof awards, as well as the amount of eachaward granted to Cal Ustudents. Discussions

continue about how to how to makescholarship information more accessiblethrough emerging technology.

“I take great satisfaction in my work with the foundation,” Serene says. “And like all our board members,I take great pride in the success we’vehad in supporting the University andour students.” �

From left, Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr. and foundation officers Linda Serene, president; Paul Kania, treasurer; and Dave Amati, vice president, stop outside the Kara Alumni House before the foundation’s September meeting.

NoNProFiT orGANizATioN MANAGes DoNATioNs, DisBurses sCHolArsHiP FuNDs

FouNDATioN leADers

These individuals have served aspresident of the board of directors for the Foundation for California University.

• William Boyd 1987-1997• Charles Pryor 1997-2005• Richard Grace 2006-2007• Dale Hamer 2008-2009• Linda H. Serene 2010-2011

For a complete list of current officers and other board members, see page 2 of this magazine. For information about supporting student scholarships or givingto the Campaign to Build Character and Careers, visit www.calu.edu/giving.

18 CAL U REVIEW � FALL 2011 By Christine Kindl, communications director at Cal U

Eberly College of Science and Technology250 University Avenue, California, PA 15419-1394Phone: 724-938-4169Fax: 724-938-5743E-mail: [email protected]

A proud member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

Integrity, Civility, Responsibility

In any season, a walk across campusreveals the beauty of the Arboretum atCalifornia University.But the collection of nearly 500 neatly

labeled trees is also an educational toolbeing used by students, educators and the community.

“The arboretum opens the walls and extends the classroom outside,” says Dr.Robert Whyte, associate professor in Cal U’sDepartment of Biological and EnvironmentalSciences. “It serves our educational mission,and everyone loves going out there.”

Whyte uses the arboretum when heteaches Forest Ecology and Dendrology —tree science — to Cal U students.

In summer he teaches Know Your Trees,a one-day continuing education class that’spopular with high school and elementaryschool teachers. Whyte also has spokenabout environmental issues at CarmichaelsHigh School, and he occasionally leads walking tours of the arboretum for grade-school children and community members.

The tree collection does more thanbeautify the 92-acre main campus or illustrate the differences among tree species.

“We don’t just want to teach you howto identify a tree, we want you to understand the relationship between thetree and the environment,” Whyte says. “What’s neat is when people begin to see the other animals and organisms that interact, so it becomes a full-blown educational experience.”

Nationally recognized, Cal U’s arboretum is a member of the AmericanHorticultural Society and the American Public Gardens Association. And Whyte, with the support of Cal U President AngeloArmenti, Jr., is looking to earn Tree Campus USA recognition through the Arbor Day Foundation.

Tree Campus USA colleges and universitiesstrive to engage their students, as well

as the broader community, to establish and sustain healthy community forests.

As part of this initiative, Whyte and President Armenti hope to form a campustree advisory board, which will include community members.

To bring even more children to campus, Cal U’s Biology and Wildlife clubs are developing an environmental education program using the arboretum as the backdrop.

“Our students truly enjoy working with the younger students and getting them involved,” Whyte says. “Becoming a Tree Campus USA school will be anothergreat way to promote Cal U and bring us all together on the same page with the community.”

Teachingamong thetrees Campus arboreTum ‘exTenDs The Classroom’ ouTDoors

DiD you know?

• In August, 35 people visited Cal U’s arboretum for Penn State Extension’s annual Landscape and Ornamental Field Day. Participants, including the Cal U grounds crew, attended to receive state-mandated maintenance credits for pesticide applicator licenses.

• The oldest tree on campus is a majestic sycamore, or London plane tree (Plantanus hybrida), planted around 1810. It stands behind Herron Hall.

To download a map or learn how you can support the campus arboretum, visit www.calu.eduand use the keyword “arboretum.” Or e-mail Dr. Whyte at [email protected].


F A L L 2 0 1 1

California University of Pennsylvania

FOCUS ON

geologyboomsmarcellus shale drilling fuels

program’s growth

E B E R LY C O L L E G E O F S C I E N C E A N D T E C H N O L O G Y

Welcome to the fall 2011 edition of Focus On,featuring the Eberly College of Science and Technology. I am again pleased to report that great things are occurring in the Eberly College.

This publication highlights examples of high-quality student research in meteorology, supervised by Dr. Chad Kauffman (Earth Sciences); a NASA-funded atmospheric data-gathering project at Wallops Island, supervised by Mr. Jeffrey Sumey (Applied Engineering andTechnology); and research at the Lawrence BerkeleyNational Laboratory supervised by Dr. SarahMeiss (Biological and Environmental Sciences).

Additionally, you will read about an interesting collaboration between our roboticsengineering technology and geology students,who designed, built and tested a prototype

robot that climbs and descends sheer rock faces. Readers also will enjoy an article about recent changes in our Tourism

Studies curriculum designed to collaborate with and support our executiveconferencing services and the new Convocation Center.

Finally, we are proud to provide a sampling of individual faculty accomplishments from the past year.

Last year in this space, I reported significant enrollment growth in the Eberly College in many science, technology, engineering-related andmathematics (STEM) programs. I am pleased to report that this trend has continued. Our current enrollment — about 2,500 undergraduate students — reflects 11 consecutive years of growth. Today, the Eberly College is by far the fastest growing of Cal U’s undergraduate Colleges.

What explains this rapid growth? I attribute it to an influx of energeticfaculty who value our historic teaching mission, along with nationally accredited programs, recent upgrades to our science and technology facilities, and favorable national employment and salary trends in STEM-related career fields.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEM education provides technical and communication skills, logical thinking, and the ability to solve problems effectively in teams — all skills that employers value.

These attributes provide our STEM graduates with about 70 percenthigher starting salaries and median incomes than the national average.They also have better employment opportunities, because demand in these occupations is growing at a greater rate (17 percent) than in other occupations (9.8 percent) in the national workforce.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue. On behalf of the Eberly College, I thank all who continue to support our efforts to improve the quality of our programs, faculty, facilities and students.

Leonard A. Colelli, DeanEberly College of Science and Technology

overviewof the EBERLY COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Dean:

Dr. Leonard A. Colelli

Department Chairs:

Dr. John KallisApplied Engineering and Technology

Dr. David ArgentBiological and Environmental Sciences

Dr. Gary DeLorenzoBusiness and Economics (interim)

Dr. Kimberly WoznackChemistry and Physics

Dr. Thomas WickhamEarth Sciences

Dr. Mohamed BenbourenaneMath, Computer Science and Information Systems

Dr. Cheryl HettmanNursing

Dr. Charles NemethProfessional Studies

Program Directors:

Lt. Col. Ronald BonomoMilitary Science

Mr. Michael AmrheinNational Center for Robotics Engineering Technology Education

Dr. Charles NemethInstitute for Law and Public Policy

Dr. Thomas MuellerPeter J. Daley Institute for Analysis of Safetyand Security Issues Using Spatial Technologies

Ms. Kelly HuntEntrepreneurial Leadership Center/Student Incubator

f r o m T h e

Dean

2

}new name

California University’s Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology program has been renamed the B.S. in Technology Managementto better align with the current name of the program’s national accrediting agency, the Association of Technology, Managementand Applied Engineering (ATMAE).

students in the Eberly College of Science and Technology areconducting world-class research alongside professors andmentors thanks to the priority placed on undergraduate

opportunities at California University of Pennsylvania. “We absolutely push our students to pursue a research

experience,” says Dr. Chad Kauffman, an associate professor inthe meteorology program. “It is a great way to find out if researchis something they want to pursue in post-graduate study.”

This summer and fall were busy for Cal U students and professors. These research projects illustrate the diverse opportunities available to Cal U students:

Down to earthDr. Sarah Meiss, associate professor in the Department

of Biological and Environmental Sciences, has worked with eight Cal U students over a three-year period at the LawrenceBerkeley National Laboratory as part of the Faculty and Student Team (FaST) program.

FaST is offered by Berkeley Lab’s Center for Science andEngineering Education and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Each summer, teams of two or three Cal U students traveled to the state of California with Meiss. During a 10-week paid internship they assisted her with researchon the microbial ecology of agricultural soil.

Deidre Pesognelli, who graduated in December 2010, plans to apply to graduate school next fall. She assisted Meiss last summer at the Berkeley Lab.

“Our research was on par with a graduate project, andthat is very reassuring,” she says.

Meiss is now a Berkeley Lab undergraduate faculty fellow,which allows her and her students to conduct research at the lab at any time.

Up in the airJeffrey Sumey, an associate professor of applied engineering

and technology, along with research assistant Nathan Wright,participated in NASA’s Marine Science Consortium at Wallops Island, Va. Their project involved developing and testing aerialdata-gathering systems using kites.

The “Inexpensive Tethered Aerial Data Gathering Platform”is one of four NASA research projects within the PennsylvaniaState System of Higher Education.

Sumey secured $50,337 from NASA to bring the project to Cal U.“NASA wants to provide a lower-cost way to gather data

on things like polar ice caps and sea-level rise,” Sumey says. Under the guidance of Sumey and Cal U’s Dr. Tom Mueller,

who provided expertise in geographic information systems,Wright was able to modify a computer on board the kite to provide light-spectrum data for NASA.

Sumey and Wright, who is majoring in computer engineeringtechnology, traveled to Wallops Island in September to conducttests. Although this phase of the project ended in October,Sumey plans to apply for additional funding from NASA.

stuDents engage in research

Lindsay Rice on a storm chase from a supercellnear Topeka, Kansas.

Across the countryFour senior meteorology majors headed west for the summer.

• Eric Beamesderfer completed research at the National WeatherCenter in Norman, Okla., one of 120 students selected to doso nationwide.

• Tim Lahmers did hydrologic research at the National WeatherService headquarters in Boulder, Colo. He received fundingthrough the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’sErnest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Program.

• Dustin Snare interpreted satellite information at Colorado State University.

• Lindsay Rice studied atmospheric hazards at Western KentuckyUniversity and was invited to be a storm chaser, as well.The students will have an opportunity to present their researchin January at the American Meteorological Society conference in New Orleans.


undergraduates take advantage of world-class opportunities

3Associate professor Jeffrey Sumey (left) and research assistantNathan Wright bring their kites to Cal U.

4

marcellus shale Drilling fuels geology program’s growthindustry grant gives students hands-on experience

The impact of gas drilling in the Marcellusshale is a widely debated subject. Whileeducators and industry leaders discuss

its pros and cons, at least one Cal U professorstrives to remain neutral on the subject.

“I try to stay out of the Marcellus shale debate, because our program is winning on both sides of the industry,” says Dr. KyleFredrick, an associate professor in the Department of Earth Sciences.

“The growth of the geology program has been amazing over the last four years, and much of it can be attributed to the recentboom in gas drilling.”

Enrollment figures support his claim. In the past four years, the number of geology majors has nearly tripled, to 60.

Since natural gas drilling rigs have becomefamiliar sights throughout the region, the roleof the geologist has become more visible — on both sides of the debate.

“Geologists are needed for both resourceexploitation and studying the environmentalimpacts of drilling,” Fredrick says. “This has ultimately created a lot of local job opportunitiesfor our students.”

The drilling side of the oil and gas industryemploys geologists to make site assessments,to plot locations for gas wells and to monitorpotential hazards.

On the environmental side, energy firmshire geologists to create sediment control plans and assess sites for damage.

As the need for geologists continues togrow throughout the Marcellus shale play, the Earth Sciences Department is emphasizinghands-on experience to give Cal U students acompetitive advantage in the job market.

Mining real-world dataLess than a mile from campus, Pike Run

sweeps past Rotary Park before emptying into the Monongahela River.

Although the small waterway is a popularfishing spot, abandoned coal mines, mine pools and old septic systems along its path have a negative influence on the watershed.

The stream provides the perfect opportunityfor geology students to conduct research andgather data, just as professional geologistsmight do in the field. But until recently, a lack of equipment hindered those efforts.

Enter Dominion, one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy. In September the company awarded Cal U a$30,000 education grant to develop a networkof hydrologic instruments so students can gainexperience with real-world data and analysis.

Using the instruments, students will conducta short-term evaluation of the water quality ofPike Run and its associated tributaries.

Dr. Kyle Fredrick (center) talks with studentsBrian Nicholson (left) and Andrew Jinkens about the effect of a fallen tree on the Pike Run waterway.

By Jeff Bender, PR and Web writer at Cal U

marcellus shale Drilling fuels geology program’s growthindustry grant gives students hands-on experience

“The idea is to develop a monitoringnetwork throughout the watershed, so wecan see what is entering and exiting thestream,” Fredrick explains.

Students will be involved throughoutthe entire project. The hydrology class willhelp to lay out the monitoring grid, thegeographic information systems (GIS) classwill create a map of the grid, and the watershed evaluation class will use the datato study the flow and chemistry of the water.

Overall, Cal U geology students willhave the opportunity to both collect andanalyze meaningful, real-world data usingstate-of-the-art instruments.

“The process of taking raw informationand trying to understand what it is tellingyou is critical,” says Fredrick. “That issomething students will do every day attheir future jobs.”

Connecting to careers“I believe the opportunity to conduct

research at Cal U presents additionalhands-on field work that would be attractiveto potential employers,” says AndrewJinkens, a junior geology major.

Like Jinkens, many Cal U students understand the importance of addingfieldwork to their resume as a step towardfuture employment. They also are makingconnections within the energy industry.

With more than 50 active members,the Geology Club at Cal U connects students to industry representatives at thelocal and national levels.

Club members present at national conferences, help local Boy Scouts obtainmerit badges, judge competitions for thePennsylvania Junior Academy of Sciences,and take field trips throughout the year.

“What we are planning for the futureof the Geology Club is something I believewill help put the Cal U geology programon the map,” says senior geology majorBryan Nicholson.

With an increased emphasis on research,a club that interacts with industry representatives and strong connections tolocal Marcellus shale jobs, the geology program is focused on guiding studentstoward successful careers.

“The most appealing thing is that the program is rapidly growing, but it still is small enough to remain personal,” says Jinkens.

“The facilities are new, the studentsand staff are motivated, and the more people become interested, the faster thisprogram will continue to grow.”

Touring a Cal U lab are (from left) Dr. Tom Wickham, chair of the Earth Sciences Department;James Mesloh, executive director of the DominionFoundation; and Dr. Kyle Fredrick, of the geology program.

Geology students (from left) Nathan Polenand Brian Nicholson review data on waterquality with Dr. Kyle Fredrick (right).

rappelling robotlooks at rocks

What happens when geology students want to study rock formationson dangerous cliffs?

They use a robot bui l t by Cal U students.

In a collaborative project betweenthe geology and robotics programs atCal U, students were tasked with creating a prototype robot that couldscale steep ledges and capture close-upimages of the Earth’s surface.

“We met with Dr. Kyle Fredrick ofthe Earth Sciences Department to develop specifications for what the robot needed to accomplish,” says Anthony Rodi, an assistant professor in the Department of Math, Scienceand Information Systems and the former director of the National Center for Robotics Engineering Technology Education.

“A lot of the robot parts were fabricated by our students, and theend result was great.”

The robot consists of a small videocamera mounted on wheels. Thewheels allow the remote-controlledrobot to move up and down a ropesuspended from the top of a rock formation. Geologists can stand on solidground, yet collect images along therock face.

The design has been a huge success. Frederick uses the robot to teach

his students, and he and Rodi showedit off to more than 18,000 geophysicistsfrom around the world last year at theAmerican Geophysical Union’s annualmeeting in San Francisco.

Rodi says the real success comeswhen two unrelated areas, such as geology and robotics, find productivenew ways to work together.

“We are always looking for ways tocollaborate and keep projects student-centered,” he says. “We are here forthe students, and we should givethem the most opportunities possible.”

5

6

when the World Tourism Organization (WTO) announced it would place an emphasis on responding to the tourism industry, Dr. Susan Ryan

knew the Bachelor of Arts in Geography: Tourism Studies Concentration was in line to maintain its prestigious accreditation.

“Part of the renewal process looked at how our studentstransition into the industry,” says Ryan, an associate professorin the Department of Earth Sciences and director of the Cal U Tourism Research Center.

“It also focused on facilities we have available for our students, and we were able to show the opportunities they will have with our new campus development.”

The WTO rigorously regulates quality-assurance standardsfor education, training and research in the field of tourism.

Cal U’s program has been accredited by the WTO since2005 — one of only three institutions in the United States and a handful worldwide to merit this elite distinction.

Because of the shift in the WTO’s focus, Ryan created new courses in 2010 designed to take advantaged of servicesthat will be offered at the Cal U Convocation Center and at the Hampton Inn and Suites hotel due to open in fall 2012 at California Technology Park, just 2 miles from campus.

The nucleus of the curriculum now features studies in convention operations, hotels, resorts and lodging. Ryan also redeveloped a previous course focusing on hospitality industry operations.

“I felt these courses would reflect the development oncampus and regionally with the new Convocation Center and hotel,” Ryan says.

“We now offer a curriculum that allows students toland careers in events and event planning, and they will beable to gain experience on campus with Cal U’s Office of Conference Services.”

Ryan already is collaborating with several University departments to incorporate the new facilities into her program.

Juanita Timney, executive director of University ConferenceServices, spoke to students in the concentration about the executive conference center planned for the new ConvocationCenter. A certified meeting planner, Timney also outlined the skills needed to be successful in the industry.

University architect Douglas Philp spoke with studentsabout the evolution of the Convocation Center’s building design.

“As student users, it affords them information and an initial opportunity for firsthand, critical observation of howthese decisions affect the operation of a facility,” says Philp.

“This early experience can ultimately make them more interested and effective contributors to the renovation or construction of a facility in which they may be involved during their careers.”

Once the facilities are fully operational, Ryan hopes to havestudents conduct research both on and off campus.

In the past, students gained experience at other area hotels, but having nearby facilities will allow them to conductresearch in guest interaction, managerial issues, and facility design and layout.

Until those opportunities develop, students are conductingtourism research for outside clients including the GettysburgConvention and Visitors Bureau and the Washington CountyTourism Promotion Agency.

“Tourism is the second-largest employer in Pennsylvaniaand the largest worldwide,” Ryan says.

“Having the ability to collaborate with service departmentson campus and regionally provides our students with experiences that many other universities cannot offer.”

By Jeff Bender, PR and Web writer at Cal U

Tourism is the second-largest employer in Pennsylvania and the largest worldwide. DR. SUSAN RYANDIRECTOR, CAL U TOURISM RESEARCH CENTER

Tourism curriculum reflects industry trends

‘‘’’

Dr. William Dieterle (Chemistry and Physics) presented a paper titled“Anomalies in Applications ofInkjet Printing in MicrofluidicDevice Fabrication” at the

American Vacuum Society International Symposium and Exhibition.

Dr. Thomas Mueller (EarthSciences) received a $5,750Pennsylvania Space Grant to provide scholarships forstudents in the GeographicInformation Systems (GIS),

Geology and/or Meteorology clubs.

Dr. Gregg Gould (Chemistryand Physics) received a $3,000lab equipment enhancementgrant from the Society for Analytical Chemists ofPittsburgh.

Dr. Paula Caffrey (Biologicaland Environmental Sciences)received a $5,618 FacultyProfessional Developmentgrant from the PennsylvaniaState System of Higher

Education (PASSHE) for “Creating a Model of Chemotherapy Resistance in Small CellLung Cancer.”

Dr. Ismail Cole (Business andEconomics) presented “CanLabor Productivity and Inflation Forecast Wages?”at the Conference of the Eastern Economic Associationin New York City.

Dr. Sarah Meiss (Biological and EnvironmentalSciences) received a $7,976PASSHE Faculty ProfessionalDevelopment grant to examinethe “Microbial Ecology ofAgricultural Soil.”

Dr. John Kallis and Dr. Mark Bronakowski (Applied Engineering andTechnology) conducted aone-week workshop for robotics engineering teachersat the Community College of Baltimore County (Md.) as part of the National Science Foundation’s TIME(Technology and Innovationin Manufacturing and Engineering) Center.

Dr. David Argent (Biologicaland Environmental Sciences)received the Robert VargoAward from the Faculty Professional DevelopmentCommittee (FPDC) at Cal U.

Dr. Min Li (Chemistry andPhysics) received a $2,790PASSHE Faculty Professional Development research grantfor “What Are You Breathing:Characterization of IndoorToxic Air Pollutants.”

Dr. Carol Bocetti (Biologicaland Environmental Sciences)received the FPDC MeritAward for Teaching.

Dr. Cheryl Hettman (Nursing) received the FPDCMerit Award for Service andService Learning.

Dr. John Confer(Earth Sciences/Parks andRecreation) received the FPDCMerit Award for Research.

Dr. Kimberly Woznack(Chemistry and Physics) accepted an appointment asan associate to the Committeeon Women Chemists of theAmerican Chemical Society.

Dr. Jeff Magers (ProfessionalStudies) was a head judge at the 20th annual Texas Hostage Negotiation Competition. The two-dayevent involved 26 police

hostage negotiation teams, primarily fromthe western United States.

Clement P. Gigliotti ’96 received the 2011 Eberly College of Science and Technology’s Alumnus of theYear award. Gigliotti is a localentrepreneur and owner of

Merit Contracting Inc., an industrial generalcontractor specializing in coal mines, chemical plants and steel mills. He also developed Top Box, a manufacturer of custom wooden containers; Dealer Depot, a products distribution center; and Westmoreland Waste Sanitary Landfill andCounty Hauling Corp.

in the eberly college What’s New

The faculty and staff in the eberly College

of science and Technology have numerous

individual achievements to share.

7

The Cal U meteorology program, in the Department of Earth Sciences, received an honorable mention at the annual Carnegie Science CenterAwards. The program was recognized for its educational outreach, charity and student engagement events, including the annual StormFest program organized by Cal U students and presented at the science center, in Pittsburgh.


The dedication ceremony was brief, but the “oohs” and “ahs” went on all afternoon.

The crowd at Cal U’s new Phillipsburg Soccer Facility on Sept. 24 couldn’t take their eyes off the field — even when the nationally ranked Vulcan soccer squads weren’tbusy kicking goals.

The $4.4 million soccer complex on Orchard Street,just three blocks from the main campus, gave the FamilyWeekend fans one more reason to cheer.

The facility includes a state-of-the-art artificial turf field,a programmable lighting system, a multi-sport electronicscoreboard, and renovated locker rooms, bleachers, pressbox, restrooms and concession stand.

“In Brazil, they call soccer ‘the beautiful game,’” University President Angelo Armenti, Jr. said during the dedication ceremony.

“Now we have a beautiful place for both our men andwomen to play. We believe that our students deserve not only a great education, but also a world-class campus.

“With this soccer facility, we’ve truly given them our best.” �

Field of dreamsDeDiCATioN CeleBrATes PHilliPsBurG soCCer FACiliTY

Speakers let the soccer balls fly after the dedication ceremony for thePhillipsburg Soccer Facility. Joining the celebration are (from left) Joe Reginella, of Reginella Construction; Dave Hohman, of architectPennoni Associates Inc.; men’s soccer coach Dennis Laskey; UniversityPresident Angelo Armenti, Jr.; women’s soccer coach Al Alvine;women’s team captain Kayla Klimasko; Nancy Pinardi, acting vice president for Student Affairs; and men's team captain Charles Dagnal.

Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams have gotten off to a strongstart this season, their first on the new field in Phillipsburg.

ALUMNI S P O T L I G H T

Founder takes pride in blind students’ band


It makes you feel like you are someone, and it gives you a sense of accomplishment,” says high school

student Boniface Womber in a video about the marchingband at his school, the Ohio State School for the Blind.

Louis Mazzoli ’63, retired superintendent of the school,created the band with two faculty members in 2005 to give students like Boniface exactly that sense of achievement.

“Our students show courage and fortitude every timethey march,” says Mazzoli, who now directs the school’sparent, teacher and staff foundation and raises funds for school programs. The K-12 school in Columbus serves students with visual impairments, including multiple disabilities.

Mazzoli is proud of the school’s students and all thatthe band has accomplished. This fall, ESPN.com featuredthe band in an online video and a profile by award-winningsports journalist Rick Reilly. In 2010, the band performed in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif.

Mazzoli is quick to credit band director Dan Kelly andmusic director Carol Agler with developing the program for the school’s middle and high school students.

Yet it was Mazzoli who came up with the idea to challenge his students and support the new football team fielded by the Ohio State School for the Deaf, which shares a campus with the school for the blind.

The band began performing at football games, then at concerts and events throughout central Ohio.ABC’s “Good Morning America” even filmed a segmentabout the band and its amazing musicians.

Mazzoli takes it all in stride. He has always expectedgreat things from his students; he simply helps them find ways to accomplish their goals, he says.

The same might be said about his own goals. Two years ago Mazzoli pledged to perform with

Cal U’s band during Homecoming festivities — and he borrowed a tuba to make it happen.

“It was a lot of fun,” he says with a laugh.

More information about the Ohio State School for the Blind,including links to the ESPN.com video and Rick Reilly’s articleabout the marching band, are available at www.ossb.oh.gov.Or visit www.calu.edu/news, click on “Cal U Review” and lookfor “As Seen in the Review.”

Wearing a red jacket decorated with pins, Lou Mazzoli ’63 keeps in step with the marching band from the Ohio State School for the Blind.

‘‘

Growing nonprofit feeds the needy

Derek Fiorenza ’09 often remindsvolunteers that the biggest

differences are made through the smallest actions.

It’s a personal motto he’s seenproven time and again. Take Fiorenza’sFood for Friends, or F4 for short. Startedin 2007 to serve a holiday meal in oneChester County shelter, his initiativeis now a nonprofit organization thatbenefits thousands of people in morethan a dozen Pennsylvania counties.

Fiorenza was a student at VillanovaUniversity when he began solicitinglocal catering companies for donationsand organizing friends to help servethe holiday meal. He ramped up hisefforts each year and soon began planning a 501(c)(3) organization to help the initiative grow.

Clearly Fiorenza isn’t one to takethings slowly or to do things one at a time.

He finished his undergraduate studiesin business and communications inthree years, while playing football as a walk-on and serving as a volunteer

organizer. Soon he began looking forthe perfect fit for graduate studies.

He found it at Cal U — as an M.B.A.student and punter for the Vulcan football team. He says his connectionwith Coach Mike Conway sealed hiscommitment.

“I feel that God brought us together,”says Fiorenza of Conway. “He is a man of faith and someone I admire deeply.”

Soon Fiorenza was making a contribution on and off the field. It wasn’t long before hewas tutoring football and basketball playerson campus and workingas a graduate assistant.On many weekends he traveled back toPhiladelphia to work in the family insurancebusiness.

Today Fiorenzaworks full time sellinglife insurance whilecontinuing to expandhis nonprofit group.

It comes as no surprise to those who knowhim that his goal is to take F4 national.

He is well on his way after recentlyorganizing canned food collections for soup kitchens and food pantries in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida and personally deliveringsome of the donations.

“I simply want to try to do my part tomake the world a better place,” he says.

To learn more, visit www.f4service.org, orcontact Derek Fiorenza at 484-467-7899.


Derek Fiorenza ’09 (second from left) helps to deliver cannedgoods.

By Colleen C. Derda, a Pittsburgh-based writer

Alain Tamo ’06 recently spent a month in his native Cameroon

encouraging individuals to start smallbusinesses and looking at issuesaffecting the business atmosphere and quality of life in that African nation.

The trip took him far from his ownbusiness in Pittsburgh. But openingdoors to economic opportunity for people in his homeland is equallynear and dear to his heart.

Tamo knows about creating oppor-tunity. He came to the United States in

1999 with an education and dreams of financial independence. Less than 10 years later he opened a successfulbusiness that’s already expanded once.

Tamo and his wife began LaptopsETC and a subsidiary, HandyComputer-Guy, at the height of the economic uncertainty of 2008. They opened astorefront in Pittsburgh’s East Libertycommunity in part to merge his interestsin repairing electronics, training peoplefor new work, and helping nonprofitgroups and small businesses.

Where others saw challenges duringthat time, Tamo saw opportunities. He offered computer repairs at reason-able prices, with fast turn-around and a sliding scale for those of limited income or advanced age.

The business quickly filled a com-munity need and gained hundreds ofindividuals, churches and businesses as clients. In 2009, Tamo moved it to a spacious retail location down the

street and added technical consultingin website development, networking,training and other services. Now he has clients throughout Pittsburgh.

If business ever slows, Tamo intendsto jumpstart “Africa Quest.” He beganthe initiative several years ago as a wayto help those of African descent to stayconnected to their heritage and helpother Americans understand differences among African cultures.

Clearly Tamo is a man of many talents. Another goal, he says, is to usehis Cal U master’s degree in legal studiesas a steppingstone to future education.

“Within a few years I want to begina Ph.D. program in African studies,so I can teach here or back in myhomeland,” he says.

Learn more about Alain Tamo’s businessat www.thehandycomputerguy.com.

recent immigrant creates opportunities

Alain Tamo ’06

Kids Talk Democracy iiBen Franklin Elementary School students Maeve Carei (left) and T’oymbae Eddings share their thoughts on freedom, democracy and the American Dream at a Constitution Day event Sept. 20 in Old Main Chapel. University President Angelo Armenti, Jr. introduced thepanelists, 12 sixth-graders from Ben Franklin Elementary School in Uniontown, Pa. Moderatorfor the presentation was Dr. Holly Diehl, of the Department of Early, Middle and Special Education. The program was organized by the American Democracy Project, which videotaped a similar student panel last year. To see a video of the presentation, visitwww.calu.edu/news, click on ”Cal U Review” and look for ”As Seen in the Review.”

CAMPUS C L I P S

Professor accepts Berger Faculty Fellowshipin education

Dr. Diane Nettles, a professor in Cal U’sDepartment of Early,Middle and Special Education, has beenchosen to receive theJeff and Beverly BergerFaculty Fellowship in Education.

This endowed chair was created in 1998 by two generous donors, Jeff Berger ’71, ’74 and his wife, Beverly.

It recognizes educators in the College of Education and Human Services whomake distinguished contributions to the improvement of teacher education and encourage new and innovative approaches to that field.

The fellowship provides an annual monetary award that the recipient may use to fund research, equipment,graduate assistants, travel for scholarlypurposes and other responsibilities related to the position.

Nettles is the second faculty memberto hold the fellowship. The inaugural recipient was Dr. Kevin Koury, now thedean of the College of Education andHuman Services.

Jurisprudence program debuts in fall 2012

Next fall, Cal U will become the first university in the Pennsylvania StateSystem of Higher Education (PASSHE) to offer a bachelor’s degree program in jurisprudence, the science and philosophy of law.

“Wherever we go today, we see corrosive corruption,” says program director Dr. Charles P. Nemeth, chair of the Professional Studies Department at Cal U. “Law is the centerpiece of a just society. More than ever, young people need to address issues such as‘How does the law shape character?’ and ‘What is justice?’”

In addition to preparing students forlaw school or other post-baccalaureatestudies, this academically rigorous programwill offer “immediate employability in rising-demand careers” such as


title examiners, insurance analysts,judicial-system administrators, think-tankresearchers and more, PASSHE announced.

The jurisprudence program will bestrongly allied with Cal U’s departmentsof Philosophy, History and Political Science, and Law and Public Policy. Requirements will include a senior thesisand six credits of a foreign language. The program also will stress opportunitiesfor independent study, including studyabroad and high-level research under faculty guidance.

Fulbright specialist to teach inunited Arab emirates

Dr. Aref Al-Khattar,a professor of criminology and director of Cal U’sgraduate-level Applied Criminologyprogram, will travel to the Middle East asa participant in the

Fulbright Specialist Program.Al-Khattar has been selected to work

with students and faculty at the Universityof Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.He will give lectures and conduct seminarsfor graduate and undergraduate students,and he will work with Sharjah’s faculty in the Department of Sociology and itscriminal justice track in the Master of Applied Sociology program.

“In general, Fulbright’s mission is toprovide assistance to organizations, andthat will be my focus,” Al-Khattar said. He plans to depart for the UAE on Dec.20.

The Fulbright Specialist Program isa short-term complement to the core Fulbright Scholar Program, the flagshipinternational educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government.

The Fulbright Specialist Programsends U.S. faculty and professionalsabroad for two to six weeks to serve asexpert consultants on curriculum, facultydevelopment and institutional planningat overseas academic institutions.


Breaking groundUniversity President Angelo Armenti, Jr. (secondfrom left) digs in at groundbreaking ceremoniesfor a Hampton Inn and Suites hotel at CaliforniaTechnology Park, just 2 miles from campus.The 84-room hotel is scheduled for completionin fall 2012. In his remarks at the ceremony,President Armenti said the hotel would be especially welcome as an overnight stop forfamilies of prospective and current students,and it will complement the River’s Bend executiveconference services offered at Cal U’s ConvocationCenter. Also at the groundbreaking (from left)are Richard Miller, president of Summit Development;, Anthony Payiavlas, presidentand CEO of AVI FoodSystems; and WashingtonCounty Commissioners Larry Maggi, Diana IreyVaughan and Bracken Burns.

To see video from the groundbreaking ceremony,visit www/calu.edu/news, click on “Cal U Review”and look for “As Seen in the Review.”

Mission Day speaker: ‘learners will teach themselves’

A professor recognized interna-tionally for his thesisthat “education is a self-organizing system” delivered the keynote addressOct. 26 at Cal U’s 13thannual Mission Day.

More than a decade ago, Dr. SugataMitra placed an Internet-connectedcomputer behind a hole in a wall in a New Delhi slum. He quickly discoveredthat even without formal instruction, street children not only learned to use thetechnology, but also taught their peers.

Mitra discussed his findings — and Cal U’s innovative Cal U Fusion technologyinitiative — at Mission Day, an annualevent devoted to exploring a single topicof interest to the campus community.

Classes were cancelled so students,faculty and staff could meet as equals to discuss Mitra’s notion that when educators stimulate curiosity and providethe appropriate resources, learners will drive their own education.

Mitra holds a doctorate in physics andis credited with more than 25 inventionsin the area of cognitive science andeducational technology. He is a professorof educational technology in the School ofEducation, Communication and LanguageSciences at Newcastle University in theUnited Kingdom.

long-lost letter sparksworldwide interest

The letter was delivered to the campusmailroom 53 years too late. Addressed to“Mr. Clark C. Moore, 219 Johnson Hall,C.S.T.C.,” the unsealed envelope carrieda sweetheart’s message, four 1-cent stamps and a 1958 postmark.

Neither alumni records nor old year-books offered a clue to Moore’s current address, and the letter was signed only with a woman’s first name. In hopes ofcompleting the delivery, the University’spublic relations team shared the story with a local newspaper reporter.

He posted a brief item online — and from there the storycaught fire.

Pittsburgh news mediacalled within the hour,and the story aired on theevening news. Both the Associated Press and ReutersNews Service picked it up,and the story “went viral” on the Internet — especiallyafter Clark Moore, who nowuses a Muslim name, phoneda Pittsburgh TV station toclaim his overdue mail.

In all, 376 North American news outlets and 50 foreign news sources carried the story.

Cal U’s effort to deliver the letter was described on the front page of CNN.com,the Huffington Post and

ABC News with Diane Sawyer online. Major newspapers including the WashingtonPost, the Boston Globe, the HoustonChronicle and the San Francisco Examinerall published the story. Versions appeared in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Danish, Dutch, Korean and Chinese.

As it turned out, the letter-writer andClark Moore had married, and divorced,decades ago. After speaking with Moore by phone, the University’s PR team mailedhim a Cal U for Life T-shirt, along with his long-lost letter.

The U.S. Postal Service confirmed its delivery the following day. �

Mailroom supervisor Connie Morris shows off a letter that arrived at Cal U 53 years after it was postmarked, in 1958.

After 50 years filled with successfulcareers, marriages, children,grandchildren, vacations,

birthdays, anniversaries and so muchmore, the Pioneer Class returns to theplace where it all began — CaliforniaUniversity of Pennsylvania.

Each year, members of the class that graduated 50 years ago gather oncampus during Alumni Weekend, thefirst weekend in June. They reminisce, catch up on one another’s lives, andacknowledge the role the Universityplayed in their successes over the years.

Events include the Pioneer Dinner, a 50th Class Reunion Reception, theAlumni Awards Luncheon and the President’s Gala.

“When alumni look back, they often say, ‘I thank Cal U so much foreverything I have in my life,’” says Len Keller, who worked on the 1961 Pioneer Class committee.

“They credit the successful careersand family lives they have led to the education they received at Cal U.”

As a result, each Pioneer Class cheerfully embraces Cal U for Life asmembers pay forward the successes theyhave achieved by donating to studentscholarships.

So far, the Class of 1961 has given a total of more than $81,000 for avariety of uses throughout the University, including $44,000 for the Class of 1961Scholarship.

Each class has until Dec. 31 of its reunion year to make additional gifts. So far, more than 36 percent of the Class of 1961 has participated.

The ’61 class committee has beenworking all year to reconnect with classmates and encourage financial support for their alma mater.

“We decided to make individualcalls,” says committee member JaneStarkey Long. “The fellas called the guys, and we called the girls.

“The personal connection reallymade a difference. When they’d hear

my voice, they’d say, ‘Oh, my goodness, is this Jane?’ I called allover the country. It’s been 50 years,so people have spread out andmoved on.”

Leaving a legacy is important to each Pioneer Class as membersreflect on the past 50 years.

“Cal gave all of us so much,”Long says. “We all have been ableto have such fulfilling careers, it’salmost an obligation to give back tohelp students who are struggling.

“You want to help them realizetheir dream. We all had dreams,and we were able to realize them

thanks to Cal U.”Long, who majored in elementary

education, was secretary of the juniorclass, president of Delta Zeta and on the Homecoming planning committee,among other activities at Cal U. Onehighlight of the Alumni Dinner was a table full of her keepsakes.

“I kept the number I held in thegraduation line, the meal ticket card, my library card, dance programs, allkinds of stuff,” she recalls with a smile.

“I had a wonderful, wonderful college experience, and I made lifelongfriends here.” �

PAYING IT F O R W A R D

pioneer ClASSeS Build lASting legACyAfter 50 years, alumni return to reminisce, boost scholarship fund

Jane Starkey Long ’61 (left) presents a class gift of$41,635 to Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr.

The Class of 1961 gathers at the Pioneer Dinner. They gave Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr.(center) a class gift of $41,635 to be used for student scholarships. Contributions to the scholarship fund are still being accepted.


Members of the Class of 1961 who wish to add to this year’s total can mark theirchecks “Class of 1961 Scholarship” and send them to the Foundation for California University, P.O. Box 668, California, PA 15419.

Planning meetings are under way for the Pioneer Class of 1962. If you wouldlike to be involved, contact the Office of Alumni Relations and Annual Fund at 724-938-4418.


SPORTS R O U N D U P

Higher groundTHree woMeN quAliFY For ToP-level CoNTesTs


For the latest vulcan

sports information, visit

www.calvulcans.com.

T hree Cal U student-athletes are showcasing their talents in top-tier competitions.

Swimmer Melissa Gates is poisedto compete for a spot on the U.S.Olympic swim team.

Before the start of the fall semester, she reached the 2012 Olympic TeamTrial qualifying time in the 50-yardfreestyle. Her speedy swim came at the USA Swimming Eastern ZoneSuper Section, held at Trees Pool in Pittsburgh.

The Olympic Team Trials will beheld from June 25-July 2 in Omaha,Neb. The 2012 Olympic Games begin July 27 in London.

Gates, a five-time All-American,became Cal U’s first NCAA nationalchampion in swimming last springwhen she won the Division II 50-yardFreestyle National Championship.

Softball players Jillian Russell andNatalie Wideman are representingboth Canada and Cal U at two of theworld’s most prestigious softball events.

Russell, a senior, competed in the2011 Pan American Games Oct. 7-24 inGuadalajara, Mexico. An All-Americaninfielder from London, Ontario, she is a member of the Canadian NationalSenior Softball Team.

Wideman, a sophomore, will takethe field at the International SoftballFederation’s Junior Women’s WorldSoftball Championships, set for Dec. 6-17 in Cape Town, South Africa. She isan all-conference catcher-infielder fromMississauga, Ontario, and a member of the Canadian Junior Women’s World Softball Championship team.

On the NFL rosterFour former Vulcan football standouts

found themselves on National FootballLeague rosters this fall.

Joining the pros were cornerbackTommie Campbell, playing for the Tennessee Titans; receiver/special teamsplayer Dominique Curry, in his secondyear with the St. Louis Rams; defensiveback and return specialist TerrenceJohnson, with the Indianapolis Colts;

and quarterback Josh Portis, with the Seattle Seahawks. A fifth former Vulcan, wide receiver Derrick Jones, was placed on the Oakland Raiders’ injured reserve unit.

Vulcan extrasJunior Maria Lopez finished tied for

second and led the women’s golf teamto a second-place finish at the PSACchampionships. The men’s golf team,behind a third-place showing by seniorPaul Babashanian, finished in fourthplace. … Cal U’s women’s and men’ssoccer teams were nationally ranked ashigh as second and ninth, respectively,earlier this season. Junior Carly Workrecorded two hat tricks during thewomen’s soccer team’s first six games.… Men’s senior goalkeeper Charlie

Dagnal was the PSAC’s first hockeyPlayer of the Week after beginning theseason with seven straight shutouts. …Sophomore linebacker Brian Justicewas named PSAC Defensive Player ofthe Week after making 11 tackles and a key interception in overtime as theVulcan football team clinched its eighthstraight winning season after a dramaticHomecoming win over Mercyhurst. …The women’s volleyball team took offunder first-year head coach Peter Letourneau, winning 23 of the team’sfirst 27 matches. The team led thePSAC-West as of Oct. 27. … Junior setter Kelly Fromknecht was thePSAC’s first volleyball Player of theWeek. … Sophomore Aaron Dinzeoplaced a team-high fifth at the PSACCross Country Championships. …Cross country runner Tim Lahmers,who is majoring in earth sciences and mathematics, was the first recipient of the PSAC Champion Scholar Award.A senior, he has a 4.0 grade-point average. … Redshirt sophomore ErinKling, the 2009 PSAC Freshman of the Year who missed the 2010 seasondue to injury, was selected to the All-District II Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Second Team. … �


Melissa Gates Jillian Russell Natalie Wideman

Dominique Curry

Terrence Johnson Josh Portis

Tommie Campbell

Seven nAmed to the CAl u AthletiC hAll oF FAme

Antoine BagwellA Vulcan football running backin 2004 and2005, Antoine Bagwell earned first-teamrecognitionfrom the American

Football Coaches Association and second-team All-American honors from the Associated Press in 2005.

In two years Bagwell rushed for 3,353 yards and scored 272 total points,with 41 rushing touchdowns and 45 overall touchdowns. His careerrushing, touchdown and scoring totalsstill rank second in school history.

Bagwell scored a team record 25touchdowns in 2005, when he helpedthe Vulcans win their first PSAC-Westtitle in 21 years. He was selected as the PSAC-West Player of the Year forboth of his seasons at Cal U.

Last spring Bagwell was the leadingreceiver for the Ultimate Indoor Football League’s Johnstown Generals,with 51 receptions for 660 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Rich Kotarsky ’67Rich “Tree” Kotarsky was a three-yearstarting centeron the Vulcanbasketballteam from1963-1967.

He finishedhis collegiate

career with 1,067 points, the fourthhighest total in school history at the time.

During his senior year, Kotarsky ledthe Vulcans to the program’s first of now 15 PSAC-West titles. He scored 30 or more points during three differentgames in 1966-1967, including 31 pointsin a win over Slippery Rock thatclinched the division championship.

Kotarsky received NAIA All-Americanhonors, as well as Associated Press All-State and first-team PSAC-Westrecognition in 1967.

He went on to enjoy a distinguished36-year teaching career and was a longtime

basketball and softball official at all levels,from high school to NCAA Division I.

Bill Lee ’67Bill Lee was Cal U’sstarting quarterbackfrom the endof his 1963freshman season into1966.

The 1965Vulcan team

ranked among the nation’s top 10 inpassing offense. The following seasonLee passed for 367 yards, then a schoolrecord, and he earned PSAC Player of the Week honors in a 27-20 home victory over Lock Haven.

At that time Lee ranked second intotal offense among all NAIA players,but he suffered a season-ending separated shoulder in the next game.

Nevertheless, the Vulcans achievedthree divisional winning seasons with Lee.

inductees include individual standouts, plus the 1968 football squad

Honored at the 2011 Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame banquet were (front row, from left) Bill Lee ’67;Vernon Ross, who spoke on behalf of his father, the late Paul E. Ross ’37; Rick Kotarsky ’67; andCandice Pickens; and (back row, from left) Antoine Bagwell; President Angelo Armenti, Jr.;Megan Storck ’06; and Jack Zduriencik ’74.


Homecoming 2011 festivities began Oct. 21when University President

Angelo Armenti, Jr. inducted seven new members into the Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame.

These members of the 17th Hall of Fame class increase thetotal number of honorees to 155.

After graduating from Cal U, Lee officiated at high school football gamesfor 28 years and enjoyed a successful career in business.

He now is in his 11th year as themayor of Speers, Pa.

Candice PickensCandice Pickenswas a pointguard for themen’s basket-ball team from1992-1996.

He finishedhis collegiatecareer with1,214 career

points, 226 steals, 675 assists and a 71 percent shooting average from thefoul line (442-621).

During his four years with the Vulcans, the team compiled a 98-24record and a 42-6 PSAC-West mark, withfour NCAA playoff appearances, fourPSAC title game appearances, threeNCAA Regional title game appearances,two PSAC championships and oneNCAA II Final Four appearance, in 1996.

Pickens was named the Most ValuablePlayer of the 1995 and 1996 NCAA EastRegional tourneys and the 1996 PSACTournament after averaging 19.3 points,9.3 assists and 7.0 rebounds in threegames. His 21 assists against SlipperyRock in 1995 remains a PSAC record.

Paul E. Ross ’37A standout Vulcan footballplayer andwrestler, thelate Paul Rosswas a facultymember in California’s former Healthand PhysicalEducation

Department from 1957-1968, when he was appointed athletic director. He served in that capacity until his retirement in 1976.

Ross restarted the wrestlingprogram in 1957 and guided the teamfor 10 years, compiling a 66-45-5 cumulative record.

A Navy veteran, Ross also coachedthe men’s tennis team for five years.

Under his leadership, California athletics won PSAC team championshipsin football (1968) and men’s basketball(1970) and captured three men’s tennisstate crowns (1968, 1971, 1972).

A member of the PSAC WrestlingHall of Fame, Ross passed away in 1980.

Megan Storck ’06A three-yearstarting pointguard for the women’sbasketballteam, MeganStorck starredfor the Vulcans from2002-2006.

She will always be remembered forher three-point swish, tossed with 28.6seconds left in Cal U’s 75-72 NCAA National Championship victory overDrury (Mo.) in 2004.

Storck finished her collegiate careerwith 1,409 points, 767 career assists, 359 steals and 160 three-point baskets.Her career assists total and 285 assists in 2004 remain team and PSAC records.

During Storck’s career, the Vulcanscompiled an amazing 120-14 cumulativerecord and 46-2 PSAC-West mark. Theteam won four consecutive division titles and NCAA tourney appearances,three conference titles, two consecutiveFinal Four showings, and the nationalchampionship.

She was a three-time all-conferencepick, the 2003 division Rookie of theYear and the 2004 national tourney MVP.

Jack Zduriencik ’74Jack Zduriencikwas a two-yearstarting catcherfor the Vulcanbaseball team in1972 and 1973after serving asa junior varsitystudent coachin 1971.

A team captain, he received first-team,all-conference honors both seasons. He was Cal’s second leading batter in1972, with a .359 average.

After his junior year the ChicagoWhite Sox signed Zduriencik, and heplayed two seasons of minor league ball.

In 1983 he began a 28-year MajorLeague Baseball career in scouting andfront office roles. This fall Zduriencikcompleted his third season as the executive vice president and generalmanager of baseball operations for the Seattle Mariners.

He was inducted into the LawrenceCounty Historical Society Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.


Past WinnersFor information about previous Cal UAthletic Hall of Fame classes, visit theHall of Fame section of the Cal athleticswebsite at www.calvulcans.com.

1968 Football TeamThe 1968 Vulcans made the program’s

first of four PSAC championship gameappearances.

The team concluded the ’68 seasonwith a memorable 28-28 tie againstheavily favored East Stroudsburg in atitle game contested at California’sBooster Field. The Vulcans twice overcame 14-point deficits and were inside the Warriors’ 20 yard-line whenthe final quarter expired. Both teamswere recognized as state champions.

The ’68 Vulcans had chalked up a perfect 5-0 record to win the PSAC-West championship.

Cal averaged 28 points per game in 1968, and the defense recorded 15 interceptions. �


Brice Meyers

Jillian Russell

P L A N N E D G I V I N G

Have you heard about the special IRS provision for taxpayers who have reached the age of 701⁄2?

No, not the one that requires them to withdraw a minimum required distribution(MRD) from their traditional IRAsand then pay income tax on it.

There is another provision, and it offers some benefits if you are age701⁄ 2 now or if you will reach that age by Dec. 31, 2011 — just a month away.

The IRS allows taxpayers age 701⁄ 2now, or by the end of this year, totransfer as much as $100,000 to the Foundation for California Universitywithout paying any tax on that IRA withdrawal.

There are some conditions. The transfer must be paid by your IRA institution — a bank, broker, mutualfund or insurance company — from your account directly to theFoundation. You cannot receive themoney, and the check delivered mustbe payable to the Foundation for California University of Pennsylvania.

No benefit can come to the giver,such as admissions, banquets or golf outings and the like.

SPECIAL INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE PROVISIONAPPLIES TO THOSE AGE 701/2 AND OLDER


MAKE A TAX-FREEGIFT FROM YOURTRADITIONAL IRA

How do you, the generous donor,benefit? Let us count the ways:

1. Your gift from the IRA will count towardyour minimum required distribution(MRD). You could meet that requirementand add nothing to your taxable income.

2. These special IRA withdrawals will not beincluded in your taxable income. Tax onSocial Security income cannot increase,nor will the Alternative Minimum Tax be triggered by the transfer.

3. Non-itemizers benefit just as much asthose who itemize their deductions.

4. Withdrawals reduce your taxable estate.

5. Any gift using untaxed savings is asmarter gift than paying the IRS first.

6. Some states may tax retirement income.Several, including Pennsylvania, do not,but consult your professional advisers for details.

7. There are no minimum transfer amounts.Spouses with separate IRA accounts cantransfer up to $100,000 each.

8. Transfers from an inherited IRA qualify,if the account holder is 701⁄2 or older by Dec. 31, 2011.

So if you want to make a gift fromyour IRA to benefit students and programs at Cal U, you can benefittax-wise if any one of the following applies. Do you:

• Not itemize deductions? (For mostcharitable gifts only itemizers haveany income tax benefit — but notunder this provision.)

• Itemize deductions, but find the advantages this year would be limitedby the 50 percent-of-AGI restriction?

• Want to avoid tax on the MRD dollars that you must take from your IRA this year?

• Seek a swift, sure, simple and easystrategy for estate reduction?

Don’t wait. The Foundation’s tax identification number is 25-1540183.Contact your IRA account manager oradministrator and explain what youwant to do.

If the Cal U Office of Planned Givingcan be of assistance, contact Gordon Core,director of planned giving, at 724-938-5985 or [email protected]. �

Here is the important part again: You will not be required to pay federal income tax on the transferred amount (up to$100,000) given from your IRA directly to the Foundationfor California University.


60sThomas Messner ’61 lives inAvondale, Ariz.

Jane Kreinbrook Lauffer ’62, ofRuffsdale, Pa., is the owner and director of Little Learner Pre-school. She was married to thelate Larry Lauffer ’63. At Cal U,she was a member of GammaTheta Upsilon, Kappa Delta Pi, Phi Delta Kappa and Alpha SigmaAlpha. She also played basketball.

Lynn Angelelli ’65 was acceptedinto The Pittsburgh Watercolor Society and South Hills ArtLeague.

Jack C. Gray ’58, ’65 retired inMay 2011 at age 79. Jack playedfootball for Cal U and went on tocoach football and teach in NewCastle, Pa. He then moved to PortCharlotte, Fla., and taught for 24more years until retiring in May.He and his wife, Lianne, live inPunta Gorda, Fla.

George Heckman ’68 is retired.He and his wife, Teresa Horvath-Heckman ’70, live in Cape Coral,Fla. At Cal U, George was vicepresident of the senior class, vicepresident of Sigma Tau Gamma,co-chairman of the Committeeon Social Activities and a memberof Tribunal.

Dr. Donald Lee ’69 is retired assuperintendent of the Shaler AreaSchool District, a position he heldsince 1997. He lives in AdamsTownship in Butler County, Pa.,with his wife, Lorraine, who is ateacher in the Hampton TownshipSchool District. They have twogrown children.

William Viola II ’69 was recognizedby the SenatorJohn Heinz History Center,in Pittsburgh,Pa., for his

pioneering of Mixed Martial Arts in Pennsylvania. The exhibit commemorates the first sanc-tioned Mixed Martial Arts boutand league in the United States,The Tough Guy Competition,which Viola collaborated to mastermind and promote in1980. William is a member of the USA Karate Federation Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and was named its 2003 Man of theYear. He also won the LifetimeAchievement Award from the USAKarate Federation and is includedin Who’s Who in the Martial Arts.Dr. Fred C. Adams Jr. ’76, a recently retired faculty memberfrom Penn State Fayette, theEberly Campus, is currently working on a book on the Tough Guy Competition and the origin of sanctioned mixedmartial arts in Pennsylvania.

70sJoe Panarella ’70 is a technologyeducation instructor for theLoudoun County Public Schools in Virginia. He and his wife, Liz, live in Frederick, Md.

William D. Anderson ’70 lives inGlassport, Pa.

Phyllis Knupp Title Bednar ’71was a special education teacher for 35 years. Phyllis retired from

Canon McMillan High School inJune 2011. She has two sons andresides in Houston, Pa., with herhusband, Paul.

Eric Bargar ’71 and Debra Wolfgang Bargar ’71 are living in Mechanicsville, Md. Eric is a financial advisor at E Bargar Financial Advisors.

Joseph Waugh ’71 is directorof global manufacturing for TEConnectivity. He and his wife,Susan ’72, live in Kernersville, N.C. At Cal U he was a StudentCongress representative.

Dennis Nixon ’72 is a retiredteacher. He and his wife, Claire’73, live in Virginia Beach, Va. AtCal U, Dennis played basketball,volleyball, football and softball. He also was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

Dr. David L. Amati ’70, ’72 hasjoined the Greater Pittsburgh Automobile Dealers Association as director of development. David is vice president of the Foundation for California University of Pennsylvania.

Tom Cox ’73 is in his first year as principal at Hohokam MiddleSchool in Coolidge, Ariz. A nativeof Pennsylvania, he moved to Arizona in 1979. Tom is a U.S.Marine Corps veteran.

Connie Williams Evans ’74, formerly of Uniontown, Pa., has received the 2011 Educator of the Year award from the NewPhiladelphia (Ohio) School District.

James Griggs ’64, ’74, a retiredteacher from Conneaut Lake, Pa.,has been recognized by CambridgeWho’s Who for demonstrating dedication, leadership and excellence in industrial arts. He taught high school industrialarts, mathematics, drafting and engineering for 37 years.

Dr. John K. Halfhill ’75 lives in Scottdale, Pa., after retiring as superintendent of the Southmoreland School District.John earned his bachelor’s andmaster’s degree from Cal U and completed his Superinten-dent’s Letter of Eligibility programat the University, as well.

Kerrie Gill Sr. ’76, ’83 is the department commander of thePennsylvania American Legion, a one-year position he has held

since July. Kerrieenlisted in theU.S. Army inOctober 1954.After serving in the KoreanWar, he washonorably discharged

in September 1957. A member of American Legion Post 377 in California, Pa., Kerrie has held numerous post, district, depart-ment and national offices with the American Legion, and hasbeen the department membershipchairman for the past five years. He is married to Jeanne, and theyhave two children, Kerrie Jr. ’83and Natalie ’90, ’11.

Duane Ryan ’77 is an employmentspecialist for AHEDD. He and hiswife, Angela Udovich-Ryan ’77,live in Hershey, Pa.

Lee Vickers ’78 is senior directorof human resources for SiemensCorp. He lives in Winter Springs,Fla., with his wife, Susan.

80sBeatrice Ferguson-Murphy ’83 is an educator for LackawannaCounty (Pa.) Children and Youth.She and her husband, Antonio,live in Dunmore, Pa. At Cal U, she was a member of StudentGovernment, the Black StudentUnion, Graduate Student Govern-ment, and the University Choir.She also played rugby.

Nancy Hazuka Vankirk ’83 is a science teacher in the Washington(Pa.) School District. She and herhusband, Christopher ’03, live inScenery Hill, Pa. At Cal U Nancywas involved with fencing. Shealso was a “football girl,” was active with the Cal Times and was in “Fame.”

Harold Michael Ahern ’83 was appointed marketing specialist and community liaison for TheWoodward, an assisted livinghome in Keene, N.H. Haroldearned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and worked as a writerfor the Cal Times and a literarymagazine during his time at Cal U.Prior to joining The Woodwardhe spent 26 years working at The Keene Sentinel, a newspaper in southwestern New Hampshire,as promotions and market imagecoordinator, co-op advertisingmanager and an advertising sales executive. He lives in

CAL U M I L E S T O N E S

Recently, members of the freshman class of 1964 met for dinner andan overnight stay at the home of Beverly Imperatore ’68. From leftto right: Marie Adele Farenzena Dellapiazza ’68, CyndeeJablonowski ’68, Bea Mazzocco Sieradzki ’68, Patty DeLost, Claudia Paradise Blake ’67 and Beverly Imperatore. The six ladieslived in the Green Street dorms while attending Cal U.



Marlborough, Mass., with his wife, Jacquie, and has two sons,Matthew and Jack.

Sharon Busti Willison ’78, ’86serves as chief of staff to state Sen. Tim Solobay. She and herhusband, Bob, live in Rices Landing, Pa.

Dr. Scott L. Tracy ’84, ’86 wasnamed an assistant professor anddirector of graduate counseling at Waynesburg University. He isa licensed professional counselor, a nationally certified counselor and a certified K-12 counselor.He maintains a private practice inUniontown, Pa. Scott is an expertin disaster mental health and thetreatment of post-traumatic stressdisorder in rescue workers.

Gene Steratore Jr. ’88, a 28-yearofficiating veteran who currentlyserves as a referee in the NationalFootball League, is serving as thePresidents’ Athletic Conference coordinator of football officiatingin his role as head of the Tri-StateOfficials Association. He began officiating in 1983. He was hiredby the NFL in 2003 and is begin-ning his ninth season. He also officiated college games for 15 years, beginning in 1987.

90sDeborah (Mahaffey) Gottardi’82, ’85, ’90 is a retired elementaryschool principal. She currently is employed as the director of a Parents Morning Out programcalled “First Steps.”

Tammy Mastowski Wolicki ’88,’90 was awarded her Doctor of Education at Indiana University ofPennsylvania. She is the director of instruction, assessment and curriculum for the GreensburgSalem School District, in Greens-burg, Pa. Tammy lives in Latrobewith her husband, John, anddaughter, Lauren.

Wayne J. Miller Sr. ’91 is a retireddirector of athletic development atCal U. He lives in Largo, Fla., withhis wife, Margaret ’05, past direc-tor of payroll at Cal U.

Mary Shonts Smith ’91, originallyfrom California, Pa., is an officemanager for a company in Union-town, Pa. She graduated from Cal U with a degree in business

administration with an emphasis on computer-based systems man-agement. Previously, she worked asa financial manager for PerryopolisAuto Auction and as an account assistant for Mendola Association in Charleroi, Pa. Her husband, Ron,works for Kiczan MFG in Versailles,Pa. They have been happily marriedsince 1993. Their son, Matthew,16, is a junior at Yough HighSchool, and they live in Ruffsdale,Pa. Mary and Ron enjoy traveling,watching their son play sports, andspoiling their four basset hounds.

Nino Sapone ’92, director of airport operations at PittsburghInternational Airport, was recentlyfeatured as a newsmaker in thePittsburgh Tribune-Review. TheAmerican Association of Airport Executives has designated Ninoas an accredited airport executive,a distinction held by fewer than10 percent of all members of the Alexandria, Va.-based tradegroup. Recipients must pass a 180-question examination, fulfill a writing requirement anddemonstrate a knowledge of airport management, businessadministration and transportationeconomics in an interview beforean AAAE panel.

Vic Shandor ’92 was recently hired as area superintendent serving Fulton County Schools in Atlanta. Vic has fulfilled all requirements for the Doctor of Education in Educational Leader-ship at Wingate University.

Dr. Edward Shepherd ’93 hasbeen hired as an assistant professorof education at Bethany College in West Virginia. He had been an assistant professor at East Tennessee State University.

Dana Byers Lewis ’93, of North Huntingdon Township, Pa.,is a manager at Financial Dimensions Inc.

Patti Kearns Mason ’93 has beenhired as high school principal in theCharleroi (Pa.) Area School District.She was the associate principal inFluvanna County, Va., serving eightyears in the district’s administration.She also taught for six years atLouisa County High School, in Virginia, where she was namedOutstanding Teacher of the Year in 2001.

Michael Pugliesi ’93, who majoredin industrial technology at Cal U,lives in Grindstone, Pa., with hiswife, Ashley.

Bruce Penney ’93 is an electronicstechnician living in Perkasie, Pa., in Bucks County. At Cal U, he wasinvolved with WVCS (FM 91.9) and CUTV.

Sonja Andrew Heidish ’94 lives in Washington, Pa.

Brian Sutherland ’94 is the newprincipal at Monessen (Pa.) HighSchool. A native of Charleroi, Pa.,he was a teacher and administratorin the Penn Hills (Pa.) School District for the past 16 years.

Mary Elizabeth Roley Roberts ’95is director of behavioral health and rehabilitative services forFranklin Family Services. She lives in Chambersburg, Pa., with herhusband, James.

John Carmichael ’97 is the newprincipal at Vienna Elementary inthe Fairfax (Va.) County PublicSchools, having previously been a sixth-grade teacher and assistantelementary school principal.

Cathy Hess Palmer ’97 lives inCanton, Ohio, with her husband,Doug.

Dr. MatthewLutz ’97, a physician at SummaWestern Reserve Hospital innortheasternOhio, was

recognized by U.S. News & WorldReport as a Regional ENT (ear, nose and throat) Leader.

Margret Cheverine Nottingham’98 is a teacher in the CentralGreene School District. She livesin Canonsburg, Pa.

Marc Thornton ’98 is the newprincipal of Jefferson ElementarySchool in the Mount Lebanon (Pa.)School District. A resident of GreenTree, Pa., Marc recently served asprincipal of West View Elementaryin the North Hills School District,near Pittsburgh. He previouslytaught special education and was in charge of K-12 curriculum in thespecial education department atNorth Hills.

Melinda Ames ’98 is special events coordinator for WaverlyCommunity House, in LackawannaCounty, which fosters educational,recreational and cultural opportunities in Waverly, Pa.

Dawn Stevenson-Sims ’99 isliving in Bronxville, N.Y.

00sPetros Katsioloudis ’02, ’04 andMichael Grubb ’07 are members of the executive officer team for the Council on Technology TeacherEducation, an international professional organization.

Karen Menser ’04 of Somerset,Pa., a certified registered nursepractitioner, has joined the obstetrics and gynecology office of the Western Maryland HealthSystem, in Cumberland, Md. She also is a licensed practical nursing instructor at the SomersetCounty Technology Center.

Elaine Logan Ondrish ’02, ’04 is an educator in the Charleroi AreaSchool District. She and her husband,Michael, live in Charleroi, Pa.

Adele Martin Packrone ’05 is an elementary Spanish teacher inthe Peters Township (Pa.) SchoolDistrict. She and her husband,Joseph, live in Uniontown, Pa.

Becky Stone ’05 is a communityinclusion specialist for VIA of the Lehigh Valley. She lives in Allentown, Pa. At Cal U, Becky was a member of Sigma Kappa and Alpha Psi Omega.

Melissa Duckstein ’05 is a statistician for the U.S. Census Bureau. She and her husband, JohnSuit Jr., live in Rockville, Md. At Cal U, she was a member of band,Greek life and the Honors Program.

Jon Brenenstuhl ’05 is head boys and girls cross country coachat Buckeye Senior High School near Medina, Ohio.

Tracy Reick Bromberg ’05 is anadministrator for the Fairfax County(Va.) Public Schools. She and herhusband, David, live in Leesburg,Va. At Cal U, Tracy was a memberof Delta Zeta and was active withHabitat for Humanity and the Technology Education Associationof California.

CALU M I L E S T O N E S

FALL 2011 � CAL U REVIEW 31FALL 2011 � CAL U REVIEW 31

Jay Burbee ’05 was named headmen’s soccer coach at Wake TechCommunity College. He currentlyresides in Knightdale, N.C., with his wife, Julie, and twin children,Trevor and Kaylee.

Geoff Mapp ’06 is a proposal/capture manager for the AmbitGroup. He and his wife, Natalee,live in Dulles, Va.

Dr. Kerry Heckman ’06 is a pharmacist at VA Western N.Y.Heathcare System.

Jeffery Brennan ’07, a detective in Coal Township, Pa., has graduated from the FBI NationalAcademy in Quantico, Va. FBI director Robert Mueller presentedBrennan with a graduation certificate during ceremonies at the academy earlier this year.

Jason Baribeau ’07 has beennamed head men’s basketballcoach at Blackburn College in Carlinville, Ill. Previously, he was thetop assistant at Nebraska WesleyanUniversity. He and his wife, Lisa, livein Carlinville with their son, Caleb.

Jeff Burris ’07 recently was nameddirector of the South Hills School of Business and Technology inPhilipsburg, Pa. He has 18 years of experience in a variety of positions with the Centre County(Pa.) Youth Service Bureau and the county Probation and ParoleDepartment. Most recently, he wasresidential director of the CressonSecure Treatment Unit for at-riskyouth. He is married to Geneen,and they have two children.

Christopher W. Gilson ’07 is a meteorologist with Citadel StationGroup WHBF-TV in Rock Island, Ill.

Denise Bruno ’07 is a real estateagent for Keller Williams in Bethel Park, Pa. She and herhusband, Samuel Bruno Jr., livein Canonsburg, Pa.

Alicia DuCote ’08 is an instructorat Arkansas State University-Beebe.She and her husband, Lee, live inHeber Springs, Ark.

Andrea Haselhoff ’08 is an artteacher for Hamlet Middle Schooland is self-employed as an artstudio teacher. She lives in Hamlet, N.C.

Christine Kremer ’08 is a seniorspecialist of quality investigations at Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. She lives in Morgantown, W.Va. At Cal U, she played women’srugby and was involved in thework-study program.

Timothy DeFelice ’08 is a teacherin the Prince William County (Va.)Schools. He lives in Manassas Park, Va.

Jamie Bogol ’08, of East Millsboro,Pa., is a culinary professional forRed Lobster.

Krystal Napolitano Houtz ’08 lives in Pittsburgh, Pa., with herhusband, Justin ’07.

Lawrence Cardillo ’08 is an operating engineer for the Allegheny County Department of Public Works. He and his wife,Emily, live in South Park, Pa.

Jessica Kalka ’08 is an instructionalaide at Henry M. Gunn Senior High School in Palo Alto, Calif. She lives in Mountain View, Calif.

Danielle Fields ’08 is in a newposition as sales manager for the Richmond (Va.) MetropolitanConvention and Visitors Bureau.Previously, she worked for theBryan-College Station Conventionand Visitors Bureau in College Station, Texas.

Donnie Petko ’08 is now living in Hollywood, Md. He is employedby J.F. Taylor Inc. as an electrical engineer.

Bryan Tolle ’09 works for the West Virginia Department of Education as a Family, Career andCommunity Leaders of Americastate executive council consultant.He lives in Fairmont, W.Va. AtCal U, he was a member of theStudent Association Inc. Board of Directors, Student Cabinet, Student Government, the SevenHabits Club, University Choir and the Meteorology Club.

Savannah Smith ’09 is a database coordinator for ChathamUniversity. She lives in Pittsburgh,Pa. At Cal U, she was a member of the Vulcanettes, the Cal U DanceTeam, the Public Relations StudentSociety of America and the PRacti-tioners, Cal U’s student-led PR firm.

Kevin Lowrie ’09, of Ashburn, Va.,is a meteorological field systems engineer for the National WeatherService headquarters. At Cal U, he was involved in concert, jazzand marching bands and was amember of the Meteorology Club.

Marc Levin ’09 lives in Hatfield, Pa.

Travis Michels ’09 recentlyfinished his seventh year as a lifeguard at Rehoboth Beach and his second year as on-airweatherman for WMDT-TV, an ABC affiliate in Salisbury, Md.

A.J. Hribal ’09, of Connellsville, Pa.,recent won the overall men’s bodybuilding competition in theOrganization of Competitive Body-builders’ Iron City Classic at Moon(Pa.) Middle School. He also is apersonal trainer at the Center forFitness and Health in RostraverTownship, Pa., an extension ofMonongahela Valley Hospital.

Bill Marnell ’09 is a relationshipmanager at Dollar Bank, FSB. Helives in Pittsburgh, Pa. At Cal U, he was on the men’s rugby teamand was a member of the StudentGovernment Association.

Clint Eury ’09 is the new Varsity“S” and sports restricted giving officer for the Penn State NittanyLion Club. Previously, Clint wasproject manager and senior recruitment and compensation specialist for Penn State’s Office of Human Resources. He and hiswife, Jennifer, live in Bellefonte, Pa.

10sApril Staniszewski ’09, ’10 is head swim coach at West VirginiaWesleyan College. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pa. At Cal U, she was a four-year member of thewomen’s swimming team.

Dale Froling ’10 lives in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Ashley Younger Underhill ’10 is a teacher and coach. She livesin Davie, Fla., with her husband,Tommy.

Jeff Michaels ’10 has been named director of athletics at Shippensburg University, where he was acting director of athleticsfor two years. He also was associatedirector of athletics for four years.He lives in Shippensburg with his

What’s the buzz?Emeritus professor Dr. Peter J. Belch ’64 shows off paper-wasp nestshe donated to the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences,which will add them to the display in the lobby of Frich Hall. Peter retired in 2006 after serving 37 years in the former Department ofSpecial Education at Cal U. He and his wife, Donna ’63, recentlymoved from their home in Hopwood, Pa., to Colorado.

He collected three nests by climbing 30 feet into trees on his property,sawing tree limbs and carefully lowering each nest to the ground. The delicate, papery nests do not survive the winter, and the waspswill not return to reuse them. Gladly accepting the nests was Lisa Gillis (left), a secretary for the biology department.


wife, Carrie, and is the father of two sons, Douglas and Drew.

Lauren Metz ’10 works for TeamPeople, a media staffing and production managementfirm. She lives in Alexandria, Va.

Christopher Rau ’10 is a physicaleducation teacher and strengthcoach for Rutherford County(Tenn.) Schools. He lives inNashville, Tenn.

Lauren Greif ’10 has been added to the staff of the StanfordUniversity women’s basketball team as special assistant to thecoaches/video coordinator. Greif is currently working toward hermaster’s degree in kinesiology atSan Jose State University with aconcentration in sports psychology.

Laura Loeser ’10 is a graduate student in natural resource management at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. She is presently studying black bearre-colonization strategies.

Kimberly Jackson ’10 recentlyjoined the Canonsburg, Pa., officeof Visiting Angels as marketing liaison. Visiting Angels caregiversprovide non-medical home care to individuals. The office is ownedby Valerie Candee ’09, and Jackie Bumpass ’01 is clinical services coordinator of the Canonsburg office.

Kathleen Poskie ’11 lives in Indian Land, S.C.

Jesse Killosky ’11, of Finleyville,Pa., is an environmental scientist for URS Corp.

Robert Rains ’11 is anenvironmental engineer intern forHaselden Construction LLC. He lives in Littleton, Colo. At Cal U heplayed intramural soccer, football,softball, basketball and pickleball.He was active with Relay for Lifeand the billiards club. He also was a new student orientation leader.

Christina J. Yancosek Cregut ’92,’11 is employed by West Penn Allegheny Health Systems/Canonsburg General Hospital. She and her husband, Robert, live in Washington, Pa.

Stephen Heisler ’08, ’11 is attending the Barry UniversitySchool of Podiatric Medicine and

Surgery in Miami, Fla. At Cal U, he was president of the Tau KappaEpsilon fraternity and a member of the Student Activities Board and Internal Fraternal Council.Stephen also completed “The 7Habits of Highly Effective People”leadership training while attendingCal U. He recently became engaged to Allison Hammill ’11.

Chris Sefcheck ’97, ’11 has beenhired as principal of Frazier HighSchool in the Frazier School District.He has taught biology for two yearsat the Laurel Highland High Schooland previously high school biologyin Las Vegas. Former principal Kelly Lombard ’01, ’06 will become the principal for the Frazier’s elementary schools.

WEDDINGSWilliam Hanzely ’07, of DuBois,Pa., and Dulcie Ann Swope, of Pittsburgh, Pa., were married April 16, 2011, at Mount ZionUnited Methodist Church inDuBois. William is a FedEx courier.Dulcie is a physician assistant atUPMC Shadyside in Pittsburgh.They visited Halcyon Beach, St. Lucia, for their honeymoon and are living in Pittsburgh.

Lacey Lemley ’10 and Chris Trenkwere married June 18, 2011, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Charleroi, Pa. Lacey works for Bolttech-Mannings in North Versailles, Pa. Chris works for theLove, Scherle and Bauer accountingfirm in Pittsburgh, Pa. Following a honeymoon in Cancun, they are living in North HuntingdonTownship, Pa.

Steve Pettit ’99 and Tricia Anderson,both of Perryopolis, Pa., were planning to be married July 23,2011. Steve works for U.S. Steel. Tricia works for Greenehorne & O’Mara, an engineering consulting firm.

Bobby Hammond ’99, of Lewistown, Pa., and Carli VanScyoc,of Burnham, Pa., were planning to be married Aug. 13, 2011, at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center at Penn State. Bobby works as a dispatcher for Landstar. Carli works for the Mifflin County School District in Lewistown.

Jamie Penderville, of McDonald,Pa., and Charles Harn, of Frederick-town, Pa., were the first couple everto tie the knot during the annual

Oktoberfest celebration in Canons-burg, Pa. The wedding was held onSept. 18, 2011. The couple receivedthe honor after submitting a winning essay. Jamie is finishing her degree in criminal justice at Cal U.

Toyia Lewis ’05 of Washington,Pa., and Michael Gabeletto ofNemacolin, Pa., were marriedMay 21, 2011, at St. Michael theArchangel Roman Catholic Church.They visited Cancun, Mexico, fortheir honeymoon and are living in Washington County, Pa.

Gregory Joseph Davis and Elizabeth Marie Gessner

were married recently at Mary,Mother of the Church Parish in Charleroi, Pa. Gregory is an associate professor of music and commercial music technologyat Cal U. Elizabeth is an elementarymusic teacher in the Charleroi AreaSchool District. They are living in Jefferson Hills, Pa.

Amy Poli ’01, ’05 and Seth Catonwere married Oct. 9, 2010, at Trinity Presbyterian Church inUniontown, Pa. Amy is a youth specialist and Seth is an outreachand recruitment specialist, both for the Private Industry Council

CALU M I L E S T O N E S

Tom Colelli ’84, ’85, an experienced hiker on the Appalachian Trail, introduced his brother, Len Colelli ’77, to the trail in July. Len, dean of the Eberly College of Science and Technology,reports that his initial 4-mile hike took him through rough, rocky terrain at an elevation in excess of 4,300 feet. Here, Tom (left) and Len — who’s wearing a Cal U Chemistry T-shirt —take a break and use their arms to create the letters ‘C’ and ‘U,’ honoring their alma mater.

ON THE ROAD

Have you recently explored an exciting destination whiledressed in Cal U apparel?Send us a high-resolutiondigital image showing where you went and what you wore. Be sure to include your name,class year(s), an e-mail address and the name of your destination.Your photo may appear in a futureedition of Milestones! Forward submissions to [email protected];please put the word “Milestones” in the subject line.

Nancyrose Peduzzi ’77 looksthrough a copy of the Cal U Review while touring theamazing Terracotta Warriorsexcavation site in Xi’an, China.


of Westmoreland/ Fayette Inc. They took a wedding trip to Lancaster, Pa., and are now living in Uniontown.

Kristopher Shumway ’06 and Jessica Lightcap, both of Royersford,Pa., were married May 29, 2011, at the Loft at Limerick Golf Club.Kristopher is a tennis instructor atDelaware Valley Tennis Academy inBryn Mawr, Pa. Jessica is a physicaltherapist assistant at Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital inMalvern, Pa.

Lisa Beachy ’10 and Zachary Myers were married May 21, 2011,at Faith Assembly of God in Uniontown, Pa. Lisa is a substituteteacher in the Albert Gallatin andUniontown Area school districts.Zachary works for CumberlandCoal Resources. They are living in Uniontown.

Matthew Pyle ’02 and MelissaBarnes were married June 24, 2011,at St. Paul’s Evangelical LutheranChurch in Uniontown, Pa. Matthewis a technology education teacherand Melissa is an art educationteacher, both at Southern GarrettHigh School in Oakland, Md. Following a honeymoon trip to LasVegas, they are living in Oakland.

Melissa Moskal ’07 and Adam Wojcuich were married July 2,2011, in Immaculate ConceptionChurch in Washington, Pa. Melissais a credit analyst for Bayer Corp.Adam is a business process manager for CONSOL Energy. Theytook a honeymoon trip to Arubaand are living in Canonsburg, Pa.

Adlin Joseph Strimel III ’08 andErin Lee Hevia ’08, ’09 were mar-ried July 9, 2011, in ImmaculateConception Church in Washington,Pa. Adlin is a technology teacherand assistant varsity football coachin the Fort LeBoeuf School Districtin Waterford, Pa. Erin is a special education/autism teacher with Intermediate Unit 5 in Erie, Pa.They visited Aruba for their honeymoon and are living in Erie.

Richard Guzur ’94 and RebeccaGuianen were planning a Septem-ber 2011 wedding in Erie, Pa.Richard graduated from Cal U witha degree in business administrationwith a concentration in human resources management.

Cody Colflesh ’11 and BrittanyTressler ’10 were married July 16,2011, in Ursina Church of God in Confluence, Pa. Brittany is an

administrative assistant at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Somerset County, Pa. Cody worksfor Lytle Construction.

Kelly Swiney ’08 and Julie Zoolkoskiwere married Dec. 4, 2010, in St. Bede’s Chapel on the campus of the College of William and Maryin Williamsburg, Va. Kelly is thehead baseball coach at Allegheny College. Julie is the head fieldhockey coach at Slippery Rock University. Following a weddingtrip to Australia and New Zealand,they are living in Meadville, Pa.

Andrea Jerome ’11, of Uniontown,Pa., and Kevin Snyder Jr., of Smithfield, Pa., were married June18, 2011. Andrea is a licensedphysical therapist. They couple vis-ited Punta Cana in the DominicanRepublic for their honeymoon.

Jeffrey Pierotti ’09 and Erin Tisot’03, both of Hiller, Pa., were marriedMay 14, 2011, in St. John the Baptist Church in Perryopolis, Pa.Jeffrey is a shift manager at U.S.Steel. Erin is a second-grade teacherat Cardale Elementary School in the Brownsville (Pa.) Area SchoolDistrict. They visited Hawaii fortheir honeymoon and are living in Hiller.

Thomas Kwasny ’04 and LindseyZidek were married June 25, 2011,in the Historic Church of St. Peter in Brownsville, Pa. Thomas worksfor Construction Union Local 286of Brownsville. Lindsey is a dental hygienist. They visited Jamaica for their honeymoon and are livingin California, Pa.

Olivia Hunsberger ’07 andMichael Schlosser were marriedJuly 9, 2011. The couple resides inDavidsville, Pa. Olivia graduatedwith a bachelor’s degree in socialwork and is employed at Somerset(Pa.) Hospital.

Sheri Jordan ’91, ’94, ’05 and JimGarlick were married Sept. 10,2011. They live in Rockwood, Pa.Sheri is an emotional supportteacher with the West GreeneSchool District.

ENGAGEMENTSMarta Gonzales Hodge ’09, of Fayetteville, Pa., and ClaytonCummings, of Orrstown, Pa., are engaged to be married. Marta is a ninth-grade teacher atChambersburg (Pa.) Area SeniorHigh School. Clayton works for

Enterprise. They are planning a2013 wedding.

Brian David Fanning Jr. ’04 andAmanda Lee Murphy are engaged.Brian is head athletic trainer at Rutgers University in Newark, N.J.Amanda is an assistant/dispatcherfor Stryker Heating, Cooling andPlumbing. They are planning awedding in summer 2012.

Laura Lapacik ’08, of Canonsburg,Pa., and Robert Hasson, of Washington, Pa., are planning awedding in October 2012. Laura is a marketing assistant and customer service specialist at Blanc Printing Co., of Bridgeville,Pa. Robert is a driver/helper atWaste Management.

Adria Ciccone ’07 and AdamKeenan are engaged. Adria, ofCenter Township, Pa., is a speechlanguage pathologist. Adam, ofWashington, Pa., is a technical support specialist in Comcast’scommercial division. They areplanning a May 2012 wedding.

Jennifer Kupcheck ’08 and David Sturges ’09 are planning to be married in Irwin, Pa., in August 2012. Jennifer is a mentalhealth counselor at Mon YoughCommunity Services, and Dave is employed by Respironics as atechnician.

Crystal Mann ’09 and Koury Lape’09 are engaged to be married.Crystal is pursuing a master’s degree in school counseling. Koury is an assistant at the Multi-media Access Center at Cal U. They were both active in Greek Life. They plan to be married inMay 2012.

ANNIVERSARIESFrank P. ’49 and Shirley SavageCava ’51 celebrated their 60thwedding anniversary in June 2011with a family holiday in MyrtleBeach, S.C. Frank is retired from PBI Industries, where he was a vice president, and Shirley is retired from the Beaver Area SchoolDistrict. They continue to live inBeaver, Pa.

Bob ’61 and Evelyn SchaeferKomm ’60 of Oakdale, Pa., celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 1, 2011.

IN MEMORIAMStephen John Arintok*Theodore “Tip” Berlinsky*Sylvia J. Povlish Bircsak ’40William C. Brown, Jr. ’63Richard Carman ’67James C. Carter ’75Ronald A. Copenhaver ’53Anna Deane Ducar ’42Thomas E. Duda ’72Olga Toth Gazalie ’41Mary Louise George ’63Charles Robert “Bob” Hanyo ’64Joanne Louise Hustava*,

retired custodianMelanie V. Kelly ’73Thomas A. Knight ’74, ’76,

adjunct professor in superintendent letter of eligibility program

Helen Hildebrand Long ’69Rodney E. Lynn ’86Dr. John Howard Lucy ’61,

emeritus professor, Department of Sciences and Technology

Andrew G. Onderko ’43William Roberts Parkinson,*

retired assistant dean of men Howard Phillips ’56Anthony J. Rivetti ’48Frances E. Seper ’43Mildred Shrum,*

former custodianBernard Jerome “Bernie” Singer ’75Robert S. Stahl ’36,

member of the Robert M. Steele Society

Mary Tarano*, retiredC. LeRoy “Lee” Tempest ’77, ’81Carl D. Totedo ’69Dr. Allison E. Troy,

former director of the counselingcenter and emeritus professor in the counseling/guidance department

Karen Hanzely Roderick Tummons ’74Joseph G. Uhlman ’62Robert William White ’67Mary Ann Gnagey Wockenfuss ’51

*No class year provided or on file

Send your Milestones news or address changes by fax to 724-938-5932, by mail to Alumni Relations, P.O. Box 668, California, PA 15419,or by e-mail to [email protected]. Questions? Call 724-938-4418.


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Information will be published as space and deadlines allow. Please indicate on another sheet what activities or sports you participatedin while you were a student. We welcome high-resolution electronic photographs. Please e-mail images to [email protected]; put the words “Milestones photo” on the subject line of your e-mail, and be sure to tell us your name, year of graduation and theidentity of everyone in the picture. Please do not send computer printouts or low-resolution digital photos, as they will not reproducewell in this magazine.

Stay connected to the Cal U Alumni Association’s online community! Your personal ID number is on this magazine’s mailing label.

The Career Services Office at Cal Ucan help alumni with job searchesand companies with recruiting. Best of all, the services are free!

• Cal U graduates who are interested in one-on-one careerand job-search planning may call alumni career counselor Bridgett Nobili at 724-938-4826or e-mail [email protected].

• Anyone who can identify job opportunities that might be suitable for Cal U students oralumni may contact employer development coordinator Sheana Malyszka at malyszka@ calu.edu.

CAREER SERVICES

REMEMBRANCES Former U.S. Rep. Frank Mascara ’72 died July 10,2011. He was a member of the University’s Councilof Trustees from 1973-1999 and one of only five individuals to be honored with Cal U’s LifetimeAchievement Award. He received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Cal U in May 1999.

The Belle Vernon native began his political career as the Washington County controller, then servedas chairman of the Washington County Board of Commissionersfrom 1980 to 1994, when he was elected to Congress. A Democrat, he represented Pennsylvania’s 20th District through 2002.

Rep. Mascara is remembered as a strong advocate for the University, as well as for the Southpointe complex in Canonsburg, Pa., the Mon Valley Expressway and the urban maglev transit project proposed for Cal U.He last visited the University in spring 2009, during Cal Pride Weekend,when he accepted the University’s 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Thomas Philip Barnhart Stout, a longtime Washington County, Pa.,businessman and a member of the Cal U Council of Trustees from the late 1970s through the late 1980s, died Aug. 8, 2011. He was the oldest of seven children and was passionate about politics, serving as a guiding force behind the career of his brother, former state Sen. J. Barry Stout of Bentleyville, Pa. In 1957, Thomas joined Atlas Railroad Construction Co., which his father had started in 1950.

He steered the company toward becoming a top national railroad-contracting firm. Eventually the business broadened into three firms —Stout Group, Atlas Services Corp., and Marta Track Constructors — that were involved in railroads, and land development for shopping mallsand real estate. The T. Philip Stout Entrepreneurial Scholarship Fund at Cal U is awarded to a sophomore, junior or senior business major fromWashington County who maintains at least a 3.0 grade-point average.

Dr. William Sacco ’51 died July 20, 2011, at his home in Monkton, Md.In the early 1980s, William accepted the Illustrious Californian Award,now known as the W.S. Jackman Award of Distinction, from the Cal UAlumni Association. According to his obituary, William worked for manyyears at the Department of Defense Ballistic Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground, including as chief of the biophysics divisionfrom 1977-1979. He was an associate in the Department of Health Policyand Management at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and was the chief consultant for the American College of Surgeons Major Trauma Outcome Study. After retiring from government, he co-founded Tri-Analytics Inc., a medical data management, software and research company, and became well known for his work in developing the injuryseverity score and his work on mathematical modeling for trauma. Hiswork earned him numerous awards, including being named an honoraryfellow of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma in 1998. Also in 1998, he co-founded Think Sharp, an educational company thatdeveloped innovative mathematical curriculum. He authored numerousbooks, textbooks and hundreds of articles in the area of mathematical research and trauma.

William J. Clendaniel, who died June 29, 2011,worked for more than 20 years as the assistant equipment manager and gymnasium supervisor atCalifornia University of Pennsylvania. He was inductedinto the Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006. In addi-tion to being responsible for the ordering, upkeep,and repairs of the athletic equipment and uniforms,William worked closely with the basketball, wrestlingand baseball teams while assisting the late Ed LaCotta,

a 2004 Hall of Fame inductee, during the football season. He also oversawthe operation of the Hamer pool and its lifeguards. He and his late wife,Fern, had five children, all of whom graduated or received a certificatefrom Cal U: Nancy Yakapovich ’81, William Clendaniel ’74, James Clen-daniel ’85, Daniel Clendaniel ’78, and Thomas Clendaniel ’87, ’92, ’02.

MILESTONES

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2011

This handsome timepiece ismanufactured by Perryopolis-based Image Time Inc.,

whose founder and president isBob McKeown ’80. Depicted on theclock face is the very first Penguinslogo, created in 1967 and used on a jersey for the first time this yearduring the Winter Classic game.

The logo on each 20-inch wall clockis illuminated by a long-lastingneon tube. Each clock has a spunaluminum bezel and a sweep-stylesecond hand that rotates smoothlyaround the face.

For each clock purchased, both the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation and Image Time Inc. will make a donation to a Cal U scholarship fund.

“As public support for higher education wanes, universities must look for alternate ways to help students,” says Craig Butzine,vice president for Marketing and University Relations at Cal U. “This three-way partnership puts Cal U’s entrepreneurial spirit to work on behalf of our most important customers — our students.”

Time to show your supportNow is your chance to own a one-of-a-kind, limited edition neon wall clock created exclusively for the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation.

And best of all, your purchase benefits Cal U students!

For more information, and to purchase your limited edition clock, visit www.pittsburghpenguinsfoundation.org.

fall 2011 - cal u review

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