To India and back

Maria Uzair Shamsi is a great ex-ample of an energetic, intelli-

gent, young American woman studyingat Penn State. In most respects, she’s verysimilar to many of her friends, classmates,and neighbors.

However, there’s one aspect of Maria’slife that sets her apart; since childhoodshe’s explored her family’s roots throughbiennial trips to India.

“Almost every single one of my rela-tives lives in India,” Maria said. “When Ivisit, it’s a family reunion for all of us. Mymom’s first cousin lives in California andmy dad’s brother lives in Toronto,Canada. Everyone else is home in India,so we’re somewhat spread out.”

During her latest trip, Maria visitedNew Delhi, India’s capital and one of its

STUDENT

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JMAHAL

It’s an honor for me to be able to share in the good fortune and great opportuni-ties this country offers me while, at the same time, know that so much of who I amand what shaped me lies in the heart of India.

Maria, left, with her cousinsAroosha and Misk and herbrother Harris. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Page 2 Penn State Beaver Nittany News Fall 2008

A Message from Chancellor Keefer

Last spring Jamie Silicki,a senior communicationsmajor, received the prestigious2008 Eric A. and Josephine S.Walker Award which is PennState’s highest student honor recog-nizing achievement in and out of theclassroom at every campus.

The award was one more featherin her cap. Jamie’s active college careerhas included a wide range of honorsand experiences, both in and out ofthe classroom, including an internship

in Congressman JasonAltmire’s office and writ-ing for the campus stu-

dent newspaper, The Roar.Her latest internship was

spent at WQED Pittsburgh, whereshe worked closely with RosemaryMartinelli, WQED’s executive direc-tor of marketing. Martinelli is also amember of the Penn State BeaverCommunications Advisory Board.

“Ms. Martinelli chose me to par-

STUDENTUPDATE

Jamie Silickiposes on theset of “Mr.Roger’s Neigh-borhood” withDavid Newell,who played Mr.McFeely on thetelevision pro-gram. Jamieserved her in-ternship atWQED lastsummer. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Beaver campus enrollment continued toclimb this fall with a final official count

of 845 students. That’s an increase of 50 stu-dents since last fall and an increase of 200when compared with 2005. In fact, this year’senrollment is the highest we’ve had since1995. This dramatic increase in students hasled to a more vibrant campus environment,both in and out of the classroom. It’s alsogiven us additional budget flexibility to betterserve our students.

I believe there are several reasons for theenrollment turnaround. First, we’ve been con-sistent in presenting our message of “thepower of the Penn State degree” to prospec-tive students. Given today’s economy, collegegraduates will need every possible advantagewhen they enter the workplace. Employersnationwide as well as globally recognize theacademic quality of Penn State. As we tell ourprospective students, when you combine thereputation of Penn State with our network ofloyal alumni, a Penn State degree gives ourgraduates a distinct advantage when begin-ning their job search.

We’ve also enhanced the campus “curb ap-peal” with the construction of the Ross Ad-ministration Building, the demolition of theold administration building and maintenancefacilities, the redesign of our main entranceroad, and the renovation of the GeneralClassroom Building plaza.

Frequently the first comment made by vis-

itors is how attractive the campus is. Cur-rently, we’re working with a landscape archi-tect to develop a long-term plan to enhancethe academic core of the campus, includingrelocating sidewalks, creating additional plazaareas, and providing new trees and otherlandscaped areas. We also plan to construct anew Wellness Center addition to the gym aswell as renovate the Brodhead Cultural Cen-ter. This is an ambitious agenda, but one thatmust be pursued to keep Beaver campusstrong and competitive.

During the last several years, 50 to 100high school students per semester have takenclasses on campus through our Dual Enroll-

ment Program. Working with the Beaver Val-ley Intermediate Unit, which received a fed-eral grant to provide tuition funding for areaschool districts, our Admissions and Aca-demic Affairs staff have done an excellent jobof providing a college experience for thesehigh school students. The feedback we’ve re-ceived has been very positive as students ex-perience both challenges and rewards in theclasses.

Another reason for our success lies withthe Student Affairs staff members who con-tinue to refine campus programming for stu-dents. More and more students are becomingengaged in student government, clubs, serviceactivities, and other programming. Studentswho are active in extracurricular activities aremore likely to stay at Beaver campus, so thestrategic strengthening of student program-ming continues to play a part in our studentbody growth.

We face difficult economic times ahead,and the number of high school graduates inour service area is expected to decline, but Iremain very optimistic about the future of ourcampus. Our students are learning what manyof you already know, i.e. their time at PennState Beaver is shaping and preparing themfor the future.

Gary B. Keefer, Chancellor

As we tell our prospective students, when you combine the reputation of Penn State withour network of loyal alumni, a Penn State degree gives our graduates a distinct advantagewhen beginning their job search.

Fall 2008 Penn State Beaver Nittany News Page 3

New faces on campus

STUDENTUPDATE

This fall Penn State Beaver welcomedeight new campus members.

FacultyDr. Clare Conry-Murray is an assistant

professor of psychology. She holds a Ph.D. inhuman development and education from theUniversity of California, Berkeley; a master’sdegree in secondary education in urbanschools / English from Boston College, and abachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studiesin humanities from The Evergreen State Col-lege in Olympia, Washington. She has alsotaught at Berkeley, the University ofRochester, and the University of Massachu-setts.

Abhijit Dutt is an instructor in informa-tion sciences and technology. He is holds amaster’s degree in computer science from theUniversity of Tulsa and a master’s degree inphysics from the University of Calcutta,India. He also taught at Edgewood Collegein Wisconsin; the University of Wisconsin;Milwaukee School of Engineering, and Shep-herd University in West Virginia. Other jobsincluded working for Motorola, Cabletron,Tellabs, and Putnam Investments.

StaffMona DeLisio is the staff assistant for the

Office of Residence Life in Student Affairs.Before coming to campus, she was a teacherassistant at Center High School, an adminis-trative assistant at Copperweld Corp., and astaff administrator for MCI Telecommunica-tions. She holds an associate degree in busi-ness from Robert Morris University.

Kelly Marcello is the new director ofHousing and Food Services. Previously shewas the restaurant manager for the Eat’n ParkHospitality Group in Chippewa and manager

of the Beaver County Fruit and Garden inCenter Township. She holds a bachelor’s de-gree in hospitality management from RobertMorris University.

Jennifer McGrenehan is the new, part-time staff assistant in the Office of Housingand Food Services. Previously she worked forthe Center Area School District.

Rebecca Mulholland has been appointedpart-time adult and transfer admissions re-cruiter on campus. In the past, she served as acase manager for Pittsburgh’s Ursuline SeniorServices and worked for the AlleghenyCounty Elder Abuse Hotline. She also taughtmiddle and secondary school in Illinois andwas a teaching assistant at the University ofRhode Island where she obtained her bache-lor’s degree in psychology.

Judson Sammons is the coordinator ofresidence life. Before coming to Beaver, hewas senior admissions counselor, resident di-rector, and resident assistant at Toccoa FallsCollege, Georgia. He holds a bachelor’s de-gree in business administration from the col-lege.

Dana Winters has been appointed educa-tional counselor for the Educational Oppor-tunity Centers (EOC) of SouthwesternPennsylvania which has its office at PennState Beaver. EOC is a federal TRIO pro-gram designed to provide information andcounseling to adults hoping to attend collegeor other post secondary education institu-tions. Winters was also the adviser to provi-sional students at Lock Haven University’sClearfield Achievers Program as well as coor-dinator of student life and resident manager.She holds a master’s degree in student affairsin higher education from Indiana Universityof Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in so-ciology from Saint Vincent College.

More than fifty Penn State Beaver stu-dents traveled to New York City in Octoberfor a whirlwind tour of the city in a little overa day. Students were accompanied by DanSmith, instructor in business, and John Hall,lecturer in music.

The trip’s highlight was the students’ visit

to the New York Museum of Finance on WallStreet, where they received a 90-minuteguided tour and talked with employees aboutthe stock market, commodities, bonds, thecurrency market and the country’s currenteconomic crisis.

Other stops included Trinity Church and

Cemetery, burial place of Alexander Hamil-ton; the World Trade Center Memorial andnew construction site; Battery Park and Cen-tral Park; Tavern on the Green; Tribeca, Soho,Chinatown and Little Italy; the Empire StateBuilding; Broadway; Times Square; andMacy’s.

Dr.ClareConry-Murray

Abhijit Dutt

Mona DeLisio Kelly Marcello

JenniferMcGrenehan

RebeccaMulholland

Judson Sammons DanaWinters

Students hit Manhattan for a quick tour

CAMPUSUPDATE

Page 4 Penn State Beaver Nittany News Fall 2008

largest cities. “I also visited Aligarh, whereMom was born, and home of one of India’sbiggest universities, Aligarh Muslim Univer-sity (AMU),” she said. “I went to Rampur,where Dad was born, and also to Agra, whichis where the Taj Mahal is located.”

Maria’s parents attended AMU. Hermother holds a master’s degree in geographyand her father earned a degree in civil engi-neering. “My parents met and married inIndia,” Maria said. “Then they moved to theUnited States when Dad was accepted intothe graduate program at the University ofPittsburgh, where he received his Ph.D.

“He’s now a civil engineer and also teachespart-time at Youngstown State University,and Mom is an eye surgeon’s assistant,” Mariasaid proudly. Dr. Shamsi has also taught atPenn State, the University of Pittsburgh, andWest Virginia University.

“We moved from Moon Township toHopewell about six years ago,” she said. “Igraduated from Hopewell High School, andthis fall I began my third semester at PennState Beaver. I live at home, which I enjoy,and I’m considering a career in business,which my Dad and I have talked about a lot.There are so many career opportunities whenyou have a business degree.”

There’s no doubt that Maria’s life is busy,not only with travel but with campus activi-ties. “My interest in business prompted me torun for my current position as treasurer andbusiness manager of the Student GovernmentAssociation,” she said. “I’m also going to be anew resident assistant in Harmony Hall nextsemester. It’ll be a challenge, but I welcomethat.”

One of the things that struck Maria espe-cially hard on her most recent trip to Indiawas the extreme difference in the cultures ofIndia and the United States.

“There’s a lot of poverty and a tremendousover-population problem in India,” she saidquietly. “When I go there, I get tears in myeyes every time I see people in terrible dis-tress. They’re sick with no food and some arewithout shelter or housing.”

Although I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live permanently in India, I do want to keep goingback. If I have children and grandchildren, I’ll want them to visit India, too.

IndiaCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Above, Maria’sfamily gathersfor lunch at herAuntWajeehaand UncleUmair's house.The main dishwas haleem,which is a wheatporridge.At left,vendors makegrilled kabobson the streets ofAligarh, India

Student receives scholarshipZhe Hu, a sophomore business major, is

one of only two re-cipients of the pres-tigious, newlyestablished PennState FacultyTrustee Scholarship.Earlier this year theUniversity FacultySenate announcedthe $50,000 endow-ment as a way to as-sist academically talented students. This yearthe scholarship is awarded to only two stu-dents selected from the entire University stu-dent population. The Trustee MatchingScholarship Program aims to ensure that aPenn State education is accessible to qualifiedstudents, regardless of their financial means.Implemented in 2002 upon approval by theUniversity’s Board of Trustees, the program isunique in that the University matches 5 per-cent of the principal of each gift annually andcombines these funds with income from theendowment to effectively double the financialimpact of the scholarship.

“But in India, people my age, as well asadults, are so used to the poverty that theydon’t do anything about it. It’s not a willfulignorance of the problem,” Maria said.

“There’s no question that Indians arevery aware of the issues of poverty, over-population, and sickness that surroundthem. It’s not that they don’t care or don’twant to help. I think it’s simply a fact of lifethat many Indians just don’t have the moneyor means to support or help people who areless fortunate.”

The overcrowding was especially hardfor Maria during her recent visit. “The daywe were leaving India, there were literallyhundreds of people swarming around me atthe airport, and the lines for luggage, immi-gration, and customs were huge. It didn’thelp that there was also construction goingon, either. But as a foreigner, which is what

I really am when I’m in India, I felt uncom-fortable with so many people pushing andshoving. I’m just not used to it.”

“Another difference between India andthis country is the focus on cleanliness,”Maria said.

“I had to watch my step, literally, toavoid piles of garbage or animal droppings.Keeping the streets clean doesn’t seem to beas big a concern as it is in many parts of thiscountry.”

Maria is emphatic, however, about thefact that the differences between India andthe United States don’t mean that thiscountry or its residents are any better ormore intelligent than India’s citizens. “AsI’ve said before, and using the knowledgebase I have, I don’t think most people inIndia can do all that much about the over-population and poverty they see every day.It’s overwhelming but, sadly, somethingmany live with throughout their lives invery difficult circumstances.”

Maria also stressed her opinion thatmany films, TV shows, and the media ingeneral portray the wrong view and a verynegative perspective of India. “What Amer-icans see is what they tend to believe, whichis natural,” Maria said. “Yes, there are ex-tremely poor conditions in India, but there

is also great beauty. Frankly, I think some ofIndia’s cities are more modern and oftenmore beautiful than some of the cities in theUnited States.”

Maria was raised in a fairly religiousMuslim family but doesn’t mind talkingwith people about religion in India. She’salso answered many different versions of thesame question. “Yes, cows do roam thestreets in some places because the Hindu re-ligion worships cows,” she said. “It doesn’toffend me if people ask me about this, and Itry to explain that it’s part of the Hindu re-ligion.

“I’m not Hindu,” Maria said, “but nomatter how you worship or what cultureyou’re from, there should always be sensitiv-ity on the part of both the person asking thequestion and the person answering it.”

As for her future, Maria’s not sure what

lies ahead. “I’ve become very interested inpsychology,” she said, “and might major init. I hope to continue on at Penn State toearn both my bachelor’s and master’s de-grees and, hopefully, my Ph.D.”

“Although I don’t think I’ll ever be ableto live permanently in India, I do want tokeep going back. If I have children andgrandchildren, I’ll want them to visit India,too, with or without me. They need to learnabout the richness of their ancestors’ cultureand roots.”

In some respects, Maria felt that her re-cent visit was her most powerful. “My par-ents took plenty of time to show myyounger brothers and me the houses wherethey grew up. They made sure we met allour relatives and experienced as much of theculture and traditions of India as possiblewithin a 2½ week visit.”

“Looking back,” Maria reflected, “I feellike this visit was one of the most meaning-ful I’ve ever made to India. It’s an honor forme to be able to share in the good fortuneand great opportunities this country offersme while, at the same time, know that somuch of who I am and what shaped me liesin the heart of India. It’s an unusual situa-tion for many people my age, and it’s onethat I’m grateful for every day.”

Fall 2008 Penn State Beaver Nittany News Page 5

ticipate in a “WQED Changes Lives” spot,”Jamie said. “She wanted someone with a gen-uine story about how WQED impacted theirlife, and she also wanted a younger person inthe spot to give a clear message that WQEDhas a very wide audience.”

“During filming,” Jamie said, “I talkedabout the ways in which this internship chal-lenged me professionally as well as my time atPenn State Beaver, my goals, and my achieve-ments.” Portions of the spot that was filmedhave already aired, but other segments of theinterview might air in the near future.

“It was really a great experience for me,and I’m very grateful for the opportunities Ihad at WQED,” she said.

StudentsCONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Yes, there are extremely poor conditions in India, butthere is also great beauty.

Zhe Hu

SGA officers electedSenior Stephanie Shearer is president of

the 2008-2009 Student Government Associ-ation, and senior Justin Lyons is vice presi-dent. Junior Abe Atallah is secretary andsophomore Maria Shamsi is treasurer andbusiness manager.

Page 6 Penn State Beaver Nittany News Fall 2008

While many of his colleaguesspend their days in deep

water, Penn State Beaver alum Jay A.Nudi ’85 Bus works to keep his company’sfinancial dealings strictly above board.

Jay is chief accounting officer and con-troller for Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc.in Tampa, Fla., which is in the business ofshipwrecks and sunken treasures.

The company, which employs approxi-mately 50 employees and numerous contrac-tors, including technicians, researchers,translators, archaeologists, and other special-ists. is engaged in the archaeologically sensi-tive exploration and recovery of deep watershipwrecks throughout the world. Odysseyuses innovative methods and state-of-the-arttechnology to conduct extensive deep oceansearch and recovery operations around theworld.

Odyssey was founded in 1994 by industrypioneers John C. Morris and Greg Stemm.Currently, Greg Stemm is the company’schief executive officer, following John Morris’retirement in January 2008

“This is a publicly traded company com-mitted to following the highest professionalstandards of archaeologically sensitive ship-wreck exploration,” Jay said. “Concurrent withOdyssey’s goals for exploration is the organi-zation’s dedication to protecting the culturalheritage found in deep ocean shipwrecks.”

So how does a former Penn State Beaverstudent end up in a job with such an extraor-dinary company? “I found out about itthrough a national networking group for fi-nance professionals called the Financial Exec-utives Network Group,” Jay said. “My wife,Beth, and I were moving back to Tampa fromAtlanta, and I had several job opportunities,but frankly, this one really piqued my inter-est.”

In May 2005 Jay became the corporatecontroller at Odyssey, and in January 2006 hewas named chief accounting officer. “As youcan imagine, there aren’t many shipwreck ex-ploration companies,” he noted. “They’re few

and far between, but Odyssey is recognizedinternationally as the world-leader in deep-ocean shipwreck exploration. I am so fortu-nate to have the chance to work here.”

Jay said that the company’s business planis built on the premise that ships have beenlost for centuries in deep water with valuableand fascinating artifacts and cargo. “Thetechnology now exists to find and recover

these lost artifacts and cargo in an archaeo-logically sound manner,” he said. “Odysseybelieves these historical and economic treas-ures should be shared with the public.”

Odyssey currently has numerous ship-wreck projects in various stages of develop-ment around the world. “For security reasonswe can’t reveal these locations,” Jay said.

The company also generates revenue

The odyssey of his lifeALUMNI

PROFILE

The best advice I can give to anyone is to pursue something you love doing and have funwith it.

Photo courtesy of Odyssey Marine Exploration

Gold coins glittering on the ocean floor are just a few of the treasures often found byOdyssey Marine Exploration.

Fall 2008 Penn State Beaver Nittany News Page 7

through the sale of artifacts to collectors, al-though a careful distinction is made betweenculturally significant artifacts and trade goods.“When we recover artifacts that are one-of-a-kind, unique, or culturally significant, we keepthem in our permanent collection,” Jay said.“Then they’re available for study by re-searchers, archaeologists, and academics.”

Odyssey often discovers items that weremass-produced, including pottery, coins,gems, bottles, coal, and bricks.

“We keep a permanent reserve of a repre-sentative sample of these items for study, butthere is no reasonable scientific or culturalvalue in retaining allof these duplicateitems in storagerooms in a museum,”Jay said. “It’s morepractical to offerthem for privateownership to a col-lector who takesgreat pride in andcare of his or hercollection.”

Odyssey alsosponsors exhibitsaround the worldand sells books andDVDs of its adventures.

Jay said that when people learn where heworks, they immediately think of pirates,danger, and lost treasures, but these adven-ture-laden images are quite different than theactual operations of shipwreck exploration.

“This is a constantly evolving, state-of-the-art industry that depends on advancedtechnology, a well-organized business plan,and sound international relationships,” Jaysaid.

Jay has great memories of Penn StateBeaver. A graduate of Freedom High School,he spent his first two years of college atBeaver campus, then moved to Penn StateUniversity Park to complete his degree.

As a commuter student at Beaver, Jayloved attending events and meeting up withfriends in the Student Union Building. “Oneof my best memories is seeing The Silencersperform in concert at Beaver,” he said. “Theywere one of Pittsburgh’s top bands in the ’80s,and it was so great to see them on campus be-cause I was such a big fan.”

Jay chose Penn State for the academic ad-vantage he knew he’d have when he gradu-ated. “Beginning my college career was

beneficial in several ways. It gave me a finan-cial advantage because I could live at homewhile receiving a quality education with a lotof one-on-one attention from my professors.But I also began to understand the impact aPenn State degree can carry in this world.”

At the time Jay attended Beaver, the cam-pus didn’t offer baccalaureate degrees. (Beavernow has five bachelor’s degrees, includingbusiness.) So why did he decide to move onto University Park to complete his degree in-stead of attending another school closer tohome? “What can I say?” Jay laughed. “Weare ... PENN STATE! I knew I couldn’t get

the education andaccounting perspec-tive I needed any-where else. PennState was a naturalchoice for me all theway.”

Jay also creditshis Penn State de-gree with puttinghim ahead of thecrowd when he grad-uated and beganlooking for work.

“Penn State wasknown as one of the

top non-Ivy League schools when I was there.To this day, I know with 100 percent cer-tainty that I made the right choice.”

“I also found out that wherever I went, Iran into Penn State alumni,” he added. “We’reeverywhere, whether it’s at work, in the gro-cery store, restaurants, or professional sports.

Jay’s wife, Beth, graduated from the Uni-versity of Nebraska with a degree in Englishand now works in the insurance industry.“One time Beth commented that Penn Statealums are everywhere because we have a cam-pus on every corner in Pennsylvania,” Jaylaughed. “I couldn’t help myself when I an-swered, ‘Hey, it’s supply and demand, baby!’”

When asked what career advice Jay couldgive to current students or graduates, hereplied that the world holds many fascinatingemployment opportunities.

“The best advice I can give to anyone is topursue something you love doing and havefun with it. As far as working at Odyssey, well… turnover is minimal here, but who knows,send me your resume!”

To learn more about Odyssey or contact Jay,visit www.shipwreck.net or email jnudi@ship-wreck.net.

Photo courtesy of Jay Nudi

Jay Nudi poses with his dogs, Max, left, andShiner.

fers to our students who, in turn, engageother students. Because of their relation-ships with the children, our students real-ize they’re doing something important,something bigger than themselves.”

The Blue and White Society is a newcampus volunteer group established thissemester by students with the guidanceand oversight of ChristinaWinniewicz,external relations assistant in the Office ofDevelopment. There are 44 students inthe Blue and White Society, which is thestudent membership group of the PennState Alumni Association. Blue andWhite Society members support localcommunities, the Alumni Association, andPenn State through social service, net-working, and volunteer projects.

Beaver campus students also spenttime volunteering with Habitat for Hu-manity of Beaver County. In September,student-athletes worked on a local Habitatproject under the guidance of Bert De-Salvo, head coach of the women’s basket-ball team. In October, a different group ofstudents, many of whom were members ofthe Business Club, spent a day on a Habi-tat build with members of the Beaver Val-ley Area Chapter of the Penn StateAlumni Association.

“Working with the students is a won-derful way to enhance alumni relation-ships with them,” said EricMcIntosh ’05Bus, a member of the Alumni ChapterBoard of Directors and a recruiter forUPMC International and CommercialServices, who sees great value in studentvolunteerism. “These projects provide stu-dents with a tremendous opportunity tobuild relationships with potential employ-ers while proving themselves to profes-sionals who might be able to help themwith job opportunities after graduation,”McIntosh said. “More importantly, thestudents realize the value of stepping out-side of themselves to help other people.I’m always willing to support our studentsin any way possible, and events like thisHabitat build are a big reason for that.”

For more information about student volun-teer or community projects, contact JessicaJackson, student activities and residence life co-ordinator, at jrj15@psu.edu or 724-773-3947.

VolunteersCONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

This fall the Penn State Beaver AlumniSociety’s Eighth Annual Golf Outing raisedmore than $15,000 and drew a record numberof 112 players. The Beaver County Timesfoursome won first place, followed by theMorrow Team in second place and

LaQuantra Bonci Associates in third.Proceeds will fund new campus signs and

wayfinder maps.The Golf Committee was chaired by Nor-

man Kraus ’77 Com. Committee memberswere John Hertneky ’79 Eng, Jeff Bauman ’92

Lib, Joe Trgovac ’80Bus, Don Veri ’72 Edu,Tom Jurkowski ’75 Bus, DianaPatterson, campus director of development,and Christina Winniewicz, development ex-ternal relations assistant.

Page 8 Penn State Beaver Nittany News Fall 2008

In Memory of Thomas A. GilchristTom’s gracious manner, kindness, and gentle sense of humor came through in everythinghe did and said. Those attributes were part of what people loved and admired about him.

ALUMNIUPDATE

When Tom Gilchrist ’41 Agr (DairyHusbandry) passed away at the age

of 88 on May 18, 2008, our Beaver ValleyArea Chapter of the Penn State Alumni As-sociation lost its longest-term treasurer andmember of the Board of Directors. Most ofall, we lost our friend and leader.

Tom and I met when we became involvedin the formation of the Alumni Chapterabout 25 years ago. He was energetic and or-ganized, and the group quickly realized that ifwe wanted someone to watch every penny, wecould count on Tom. He held the treasurer’soffice until 2007. His dedication to and en-joyment of that job were apparent to all.

Tom’s love of and pride in the Universitywere impossible to measure. For decades hecheered on the Nittany Lions, and loved totell stories about the culture of Penn State in,as he called them, the “olden days.” It was apleasure to hear him speak so fondly of aplace that meant so much to him.

Tom was also known as “The Ice CreamMan” because for decades he coordinated andhelped Chapter members with the sale ofPenn State Creamery ice cream in our com-munity. Tom and other Chapter memberssold ice cream to audiences at the BrodheadCultural Center’s shows, and t he traditioncontinued this year in his honor.

He also organized the purchase and distri-bution of Penn State Creamery ice creamhalf-gallons sold by the Chapter every fall.Tom made arrangements to have a Turner’sDairy truck pick up, store, and deliver the icecream so that people from miles around couldpick up their favorite treat close to home.

Tom’s interest in dairy and ice creambegan when his parents owned the Alps Ice

Cream store and wholesale business in BeaverFalls. Eventually Tom and his brother tookover the business, and his children, Jane andTom, still claim that the ice cream made therewas the best, bar none. When the brothersclosed the business in 1962, Tom worked forseveral commercial dairies in the Pittsburgharea. He later became a Pennsylvania statedairy and farm inspector until he retired.

As I grew to know Tom, I realized he de-fined the word “gentleman.” His graciousmanner, kindness, and gentle sense of humorcame through in everything he did and said.Those attributes were part of him and part ofwhat people loved and admired about him.

Tom was a tremendously devoted hus-band, father, and grandfather. When hisbeloved wife, Ibby, passed away in 1997, I sawthe sadness and empty space her loss left inhis life after their 53-year marriage. But Tomnever let that change define or reshape him in

a negative way. He remained upbeat and kepthis sense of humor as he quietly dealt withthe loss of his partner and best friend.

I was lucky to call Tom my friend. Hisgrace, patience, and strength supported me inmany ways through the years, and he alwayshad time to talk with me. Those are times I’llalways treasure.

I think fall was Tom’s favorite season, as itis mine, and this fall I’ve thought of him fre-quently. He baked pumpkin pies for friendsand made peanut brittle with his church crewthat found its way into many area kitchens,including mine.

Last fall Tom’s health began to fail, and inDecember he moved into Franciscan Manorin Patterson Heights. I visited him in hislight, pleasant room one beautiful Saturday,and he proudly showed me around his newhome and talked of the estate’s history. Hewas more relaxed and happier than I’d seenhim in months, and I drove home that dayknowing that Tom had found the right place.

The Alumni Chapter continues on withnew members and projects, but Tom’s pres-ence will always be felt. There’s a Chinesesaying that I think applies to Tom: “Thesound stops short, the sense flows on.”Tom’sgone from us, but his spirit and grace remain,and for that, I’ll always be grateful.

Amy M. KrebsDirector, Campus/Community Relations

Campus Liaison,Beaver Valley Area Alumni Chapter

Golf outing raises $15,000 for campus signs

Imust have the best job in the world! AsPenn State Beaver’s director of develop-

ment, I get to meet our wonderful alumni.However, in recent trips to connect withBeaver campus alumni, I was surprised bywhat several of them said. Here’s thestory……

When I meet with an alum, I use our timetogether to provide campus updates, answerquestions, address issues, find out how thecampus can be of service, and learn moreabout the person with whom I’m meeting.

I’ve been privileged to hear many wonder-ful stories about numerous positive experi-ences people have had at Beaver. These storiesare often filled with appreciation for educa-tional opportunities, dedicated faculty mem-bers, small class sizes, and/or friendshipsformed – even some that evolved into lifelongpartnerships and marriages.

These positive comments evoke this replyfrom me: “I’ve heard you speak so well of yourtime at Beaver campus, and I see that you fi-nancially support the University Park campus.Naturally, that makes me curious as to whyyou don’t support Beaver financially.”

People are almost always surprised by mycomment and usually say, “I thought my giftto University Park was shared with Beaver” or“I was never asked to help Beaver.” I explainthat all gifts that go to University Park staythere, and all gifts that come to Beaver stay

here. There isn’t any “trickle down” effect forBeaver. Every campus is responsible for itsown fundraising goal.

As the development officer, it’s my sincerehope that you’ll give back to Beaver, the placewhere you began (and possibly finished) yourPenn State education. I’m very happy to helpyou do that. There are so many ways you cansupport Beaver, including scholarships, athlet-ics, facilities, cultural programs, research, andunrestricted gifts, just to name a few.

Last summer I visited a gentleman whopreviously funded an endowed scholarship atBeaver campus in his family’s name. He was

satisfied with his gift and wasn’t necessarilyinterested in making an additional gift —until we talked about the impact his scholar-ship has made.

This donor learned that his gift has al-ready touched the lives of 56 Beaver campusstudents who received scholarships as a resultof his generosity. As a result, this gentlemanand his wife pledged an additional $100,000donation for their existing endowed scholar-ship. The impact those additional funds willmake in the lives of countless Beaver campusstudents is remarkable.

This year 153 Beaver campus studentshave benefitted from more than $450,000 inscholarships provided by donors. In today’seconomy, that amount is especially meaning-ful. Naturally, not everyone can make a gift atthat level, but the point is to give, no matterwhat the amount. Your direct support of PennState Beaver at any level is essential to ourcontinued growth and success.

I welcome the opportunity to assist you inmaking your gift to Penn State Beaver. Pleasecontact me anytime at dlp25@psu.edu or724-773-3558. I look forward to visiting withyou soon.

With best regards,

Diana PattersonDirector of Development

Fall 2008 Penn State Beaver Nittany News Page 9

Penn State Beaver needs your supportAll gifts that go to University Park stay there, and all gifts that come to Beaver stay here.There isn’t any “trickle down” effect for Beaver.

ALUMNIUPDATE

If you have newsto share, we’dlove to hearabout it. Fill outthis form orsend us email atamk6@psu.edu.

Name ____________________________________________

Address __________________________________________

City _______________________ State ____ Zip __________

Phone _____________________ Email __________________

Employer ___________________Work phone_____________

Years at Beaver Campus ________ Degree/year _____________

What news do you have to share?(new job, honors/awards, marriage,birth, promotion, etc.)

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Attach additional page if necessary.MAILTO:Alumni Update, Penn State Beaver, 100 University Drive, Monaca, PA 15061

Page 10 Penn State Beaver Nittany News Fall 2008

If you mention the term “servicelearning” at Penn State Beaver,

the first person who almost alwayscomes to mind is Dr. JoAnnChirico, senior instructor in sociol-ogy. “I started requiring service learn-ing, or a research project, during my firstyear of teaching at Beaver in 1997,” JoAnnsaid. “No one else was doing it on campus, soI began quietly.”

Service learning is usually defined as anacademic program that enables students toperform meaningful community service re-lated to their courses. The goal is to combinecommunity service with classroom theories toenrich students’ learning, personal growth,and sense of civic responsibility. The benefit ismultiple in that students help people in thecommunity, enhance their classroom experi-ence, and learn about collaboration with out-side agencies.

JoAnn holds a doctorate in sociology andeducation with a minor in educational ad-ministration and a master’s degree in elemen-tary education from the University ofPittsburgh. Her bachelor’s degree in Englishis from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Her academic background explains howshe came to view service learning as such animportant part of a student’s educa-tion. She became involved in soci-ology and service learning whileworking on her dissertation.

“I couldn’t tackle the prob-lem I’d outlined with theknowledge base I had,” JoAnnsaid. “I studied sociologi-cal theory to try to finda perspective, and Idid. I becamehooked on themulti-dimen-sional perspectiveof sociology,which has an ana-

lytical framework that forces one tolook at a number of levels of expla-nation to understand any one phe-nomenon.”

As an undergraduate, she notonly took English courses for her

major, but decided to take all the biologycourses required of biology majors. “I thoughtthat between the poets and biologists, I couldunderstand social action,” JoAnn said.

Her students are grateful when they speakof the unique experiences they’ve had as a re-sult of attending a class in which servicelearning is required. Cyndi Brown, who willgraduate from Penn State Beaver in Decem-ber with a bachelor’s degree in applied psy-chology, is emphatic when she says thatJoAnn’s influence changed her life.

“During my college career, I’ve had a vari-ety of internships and done a lot of volunteerwork with social service agencies, crisis cen-ters, and other organizations serving peoplein need,” Cyndi said. “But JoAnn was the per-son who opened my eyes to those opportuni-ties. She taught me to think and view life inculturally diverse ways, and she also increasedmy awareness of social issues that affect mi-norities as well as other people.”

While completing her degree, Cyndi isalso working full-time at Adelphoi Vil-

lage’s new office in Butler. Adelphoi isa private, not-for-profit agency thatprovides comprehensive, commu-

nity-based treatment to boys andgirls. “I spent two semesters as anintern at Adelphoi,” she said. “Ienjoyed the work so much that the

administrators asked meto become a full-

time employee.Now I work withadjudicatedyouth who aremandated bythe courts to

attend Adelphoi in after-school programs.”Cyndi also credits Dr. Minhnoi Wroble

Biglan, assistant professor of psychology, andDr. June Fishbourne and Kevin Bennett, in-structors in psychology, with playing impor-tant roles in her career choice. “The facultyhere are incredibly devoted not only to whatthey teach, but to the success and lives oftheir students as well. They’ve opened myeyes to so many opportunities and new expe-riences. I can’t thank them enough,” she said.

JoAnn’s work with her students and thecommunity hasn’t gone unnoticed. She re-ceived the Penn State Beaver Advisory BoardSky Bank Excellence in Service Award forher work in forming student/communitypartnerships and her initiatives in increasingawareness of social problems and issues oncampus and in the community. She is also arecipient of the Penn State CommonwealthCollege Service Award. In addition, she re-ceived the Penn State University Vice Presi-dent for Student Affairs Award forOutstanding Program in the DiversitySpeakers Series and received honorable men-tion in that office’s Drug and Alcohol Preven-tion Program.

JoAnn has taught service learning, off andon, for 15 years. “I use it for a number of rea-sons. Some are academic in nature in thatstudents learn more about their coursesthrough the multi-level explorations of theirsubject matter. Another reason is because Ibelieve it is a college student’s responsibilityto give back to the community in which he orshe is educated,” she said.

“Our students use the resources of thecommunity, so there should be some return,”JoAnn explained. Her service learning stu-dents work 20 hours at an average of $10 perhour. “That’s an average of $200 per studentgoing back into the community.”

She also believes that service learning is anexcellent way for students to develop theirpersonalities while discovering who they are

There’s little opportunity to do things for others while in college. When students becomeinvolved in service learning, they realize how much potential they have to create positivechanges in the community, even if they’re only interacting with one or two people.

FACULTYPROFILE

A matter of service

Fall 2008 Penn State Beaver Nittany News Page 11

and what the world means to them. “There’slittle opportunity to do things for otherswhile in college,” JoAnn said. “When stu-dents become involved in service learning,they realize how much potential they have tocreate positive changes in the community,even if they’re only interacting with one ortwo people.”

JoAnn went on to explain the impact astudent can make. “If a student delivers Mealson Wheels, the person to whom they’re deliv-ering food usually greets them as though thatstudent is the most important person in theworld. For the food recipient, it’s true. Thatstudent might be the most important part ofthat person’s day. It’s truly an eye-opening ex-perience for our students. It shows them howthey can make a positive difference in some-one else’s life.”

JoAnn teaches basic sociology courses,which can be challenging since many of thestudents aren’t majoring in the field. One ofher goals is to make sociology and servicelearning real to her classes.

“I use a variety of mini-research exercisesin class, which give students practice inthinking like a scientist, the same way thatnatural scientists use lab experiments,” shesaid. “However, these exercises aren’t con-trolled like natural science lab experiments.Students gather data from surveys, observa-tions, experiments, and content analysis, andthen we apply theory to interpret the results.”

JoAnn is quick to point out that otherBeaver campus faculty are deeply involved inservice learning projects, including Dr. JohnChapin, associate professor of communica-tions; Dr. Patrice Clemson, instructor in in-formation sciences and technology; JamesHendrickson, instructor in engineering; andDr. Irene Wolf, instructor in philosophy. “It’ssuch a rewarding experience for both facultyand students,” JoAnn said, “and a great moti-vator in class.”

She also uses service learning so that herstudents gain a clearer understanding of theimportant role a strong social fabric plays inthe health of a society. “The social world isthe laboratory of the sociologist,” she said.“I’ve worked hard to integrate internationalissues and perspectives into all my courses.”

“As a discipline, sociology isn’t understoodvery well,” JoAnn said. “If a student decides tomajor in sociology, I think it’s because she orhe is drawn to the richness of the theoreticalperspectives. Using sociological theory is like

Photo by ALEXANDER DAWSON

Dr. JoAnn Chirico works with students Jamin Jackson and Kaitlin Pekular during a recent CivicCommunications class. CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

holding a prism to light. When you hold theprism to a white light, the colors that were in-visible become visible. When you hold socio-logical theory to human action, the forces ofculture, social structure, personality, and evenbiology become visible. That’s the multi-lay-ered analysis.”

JoAnn has taught a variety of courses cov-ering many topics, including social theory,marriage, sex roles, the family, societal beliefsand value, racial and ethnic minorities, andreligious movements. She’s certified by theAmerican Association of University Women(AAUW) to conduct Gender Equity Train-ing using their model, has published severalbooks, and has written a new online manual,Observable Effects: Meaning in the Global Age,for Pine Forge Press.

JoAnn’s passion for service learning andsociology has influenced her daughter, CaseyMiller, a Penn State senior mechanical engi-neering major with a passion for politics. Thisfall Casey registered about 1,100 people tovote through PSUVote.org, a nonpartisan stu-dent coalition. Casey’s work earned her a fea-ture role in an episode of “This AmericanLife,” a nationally syndicated radio show pro-duced by Chicago Public Radio that airedearlier this fall.

“I’m proud of Casey’s commitment tohelping people realize the effect they can haveon society,” JoAnn said. “I’d be honored tothink that my passion for service leaning andworking on behalf of a cause has influencedher. She’s done a tremendous job by becom-ing involved in the most historic election inour nation’s history. I’m in awe of her dedica-tion.”

JoAnn isn’t surprised when she hearssomeone say that sociology sounds like a truescience. “I compare sociology to physics. Youdon’t see gravity, but you see the apple fallfrom the tree. If we don’t understand how aforce like gravity works, it remains meaning-less, but if you master that force, you can fly.

“The same theory holds true with socialforces,” JoAnn said. “If we don’t analyze andunderstand them, we remain victims of them.Once we understand these forces and theo-ries, then we can use them to make betterlives for ourselves, society, and the world.”

To learn more about JoAnn’s work, contact herat jxc64@psu.edu or 724-773-3846.

ChiricoCONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

AppointmentsJessica Jackson,

campus residencelife coordinator, wasappointed coordi-nator of residencelife and student ac-tivities in the Officeof Student Affairs.

Jackson contin-ues to hold severalprimary responsibilities within the residencelife program, but at least half of the new jobwill focus on enhancing activities and serv-ices for the support and development ofcampus social, recreational, cultural, well-ness, and educational programs for studentsand student organizations.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychol-ogy and a master’s degree in communitycounseling from Lynchburg College, Vir-ginia.

Denise Turyanwas appointed staffassistant for the Of-fice of Student Af-fairs.

Since 2005 shehas been a staff as-sistant for Beavercampus residencelife and the officeassistant for the campus Reach Out pro-gram. Turyan also worked in the campusbookstore for a year and served as a staff as-sistant in the Office of Housing and FoodServices for four years. Prior to joining thecampus, Turyan worked in public reception,sales, customer service, and support.

RetirementsDebbie Haddad, staff assistant in the

Office of Student Affairs, and Carl Miller,director of the Office of Housing and FoodServices, retired from Penn State on June30, 2008. Both were Penn State employeesfor more than 20 years.

Haddad joined Beaver in 1980 as a part-time employee in the Maintenance and Se-curity Department and remained there until1983, when she began full-time employ-ment in the campus bookstore. In 1988 shemoved to the Finance Office, where sheworked until 1992, when she became theStudent Affairs staff assistant.

Miller began his University career in1978 at Penn State Erie, The Behrend Col-

lege, in the Office of Housing andFood Services. Several years later he

moved to Beaver to serve as assistantdirector of Housing and Food Services andwas promoted to director.

UnitedWayVolunteersSeven members of the campus commu-

nity comprise the 2008 United Way ofBeaver County Fundraising Committee.Co-chairs are Dana Alvetro, program aide,Office of Continuing Education, andDenise Turyan, staff assistant in the Officeof Student Affairs. Other committee mem-bers are Carol Pistachio, library assistant;Christina Winniewicz, external relationsassistant, and staff assistants DarleneMancini, Housing and Food Services; Re-nata Shaw, Chancellor, Campus and Com-munity Relations and Brodhead CulturalCenter; and Jennie Ward, Registrar and Di-vision of Undergraduate Studies.

Fundraising activities this semester in-clude a Silent Basket Auction and CampusLuncheon, selling gourmet food and Beavercampus apparel, and soliciting employeesone-on-one and with individual mailings.The committee hopes to raise $5,000 forthe United Way which is the University’sonly designated charity.

FundsAwardedDr. Chris Rizzo, director of Student Af-

fairs; Martin Goldberg, associate librarian;and the Office of Student Affairs received$6,000 to implement a proposal, EnhancingCultural Competence through Campus Activi-ties Programs.

Funds were awarded by the Penn StateEqual Opportunity Planning Committee toencourage diversity and cultural competencein campus and community membersthrough outreach, awareness, training, andco-curricular programs.

Marian Vendemia ’04 MEd, director ofcontinuing education, received an Award forExcellence in Marketing and PromotionsCampaigns for Summer Camps from theUniversity Continuing Education Associa-tion Mid-Atlantic Region for her partner-ship with McDonald’s. In addition,Vendemia received $3,000 in support of thePersonal Care Home Administrator Train-ing program from the Professional and Or-ganizational Development Roundtable ofthe Penn State Office of Continuing andDistance Education.

STAFFUPDATE

Jessica Jackson

DeniseTuryan

Page 12 Penn State Beaver Nittany News Fall 2008

Fall 2008 Penn State Beaver Nittany News Page 13

In Memoriam: Dr. John Simpson

Dr. John Simpson ’71 Ph.D. Sci, asso-ciate professor emeritus of chemistry

at Penn State Beaver, died unexpectedly atthe age of 63 at his home in Wakefield, R.I.,on June 16, 2008. A native of Providence, hewas married to Renny (Pudussery) Simpsonfor 39 years. Their son, Dan, and his familylive in Indianapolis.

John taught at Beaver from 1970 to 2005.He held a doctorate in organic chemistryfrom Penn State and a bachelor’s degree inchemistry from the University of Rhode Is-land. When John retired, he was awardedemeritus status by Penn State President Gra-ham B. Spanier, who wrote to John, saying,“This University is grateful to you and proudthat you contributed to the great purposes ofPenn State.”

John’s colleagues and former studentsagreed with President Spanier. “He achievedso much professionally and academically, andhis long tenure and service to his campus, de-partment, and students were remarkable,” saidDr. Donna J. Kuga ’78 H&HD, director ofacademic affairs.

“John’s accomplishments were stellar,” shesaid. “He was recognized throughout theUniversity for his scholarly activity conductedwith chemistry students.”

Faculty, staff, and students agree that Johnwas dedicated to the success of his students.Described as personable, open, and challeng-ing, he had the ability to explain chemistrywithout intimidating students.

“He was committed to teaching well andbeing a leader in his field while encouragingthe same in his colleagues,” Kuga said. “Heemphasized the importance of undergraduateresearch and often mentored stu-

dents in honors options or research projects.”In 1997 John received the Penn State

Beaver Advisory Board’s Excellence in Teach-ing Award, which is awarded annually to onlyone campus faculty member. In 1999 he re-ceived the University’s Star Projects Awardfor his use of teamwork and technology in hisclassroom. The award, given by the PennState Center for Learning and AcademicTechnologies, honored John’s shift from a tra-ditional instruction to a team-based concept.

In 2000 he mentored two Beaver campusstudents who received first-place honors inthe Physical Sciences Division at the Univer-sity’s Annual Undergraduate Exhibition atPenn State University Park. At the time itwas very unusual for sophomores from acampus other than University Park to receivesuch high honors in the competition.

In 2001 John received one of Penn State’smost prestigious honors, the George W.Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching.

He was one of only four University facultymembers chosen from across all Penn Statelocations.

After retiring, John and Renny establishedthe John and Renny Simpson Annual Schol-arship for Beaver campus students in theEberly College of Science. In addition, theyestablished the Dr. John and Renny SimpsonEndowed Scholarship through their estate forstudents enrolled or planning to enroll in theEberly College of Science.

John enjoyed sailing, fishing, traveling,making wine, and spending time with hisfamily. He and Renny stayed active in com-munity projects, visited Dan and his familyoften, and planned to travel extensively.

Dr. Elizabeth “Liz” (Foley) Zona ’02 Sci, athird-year resident specializing in anesthesiaat UPMC-Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, re-cently attended a campus dinner with Rennyand Dan where the Simpson’s scholarship wasawarded to a Beaver campus student.

“Doc was the best teacher I ever had,” Lizsaid. “His faith in me far exceeded my faith inmyself, and he’s the reason I’ve gotten this far.When I doubted myself, he pushed me for-ward. He created opportunities that helpedme build my resume, open my mind, and ex-pand my horizons.”

“ I know absolutely that he changed mylife,” she said. “Doc was a wise, kind, gener-ous, and honorable man. I thank God that Iwas blessed to have known such an amazingperson. He’s deeply missed.”

Anyone wishing to honor John by making a me-morial gift to the Beaver campus is asked to con-tact Diana Patterson at dlp25@psu.edu or724-773-3558. Renny welcomes hearing fromJohn’s students, friends, and colleagues and can bereached at rgsimpson@cox.net.

Doc was the best teacher I ever had. His faith in me far exceeded my faith in myself, andhe’s the reason I’ve gotten this far. When I doubted myself, he pushed me forward.

HonorsJennie Ward received the

2008 Penn State Beaver Advi-sory Board/ESB Bank Staff Excel-lence Award.

She is the staff assistant for the offices of

the Division of Undergraduate Studies,Master’s of Education, and registrar.

———Dr. Kay Wijekumar, associate professor of

information sciences and technology, andAmy Gartley ’90 Com, associate professor of

student affairs, were honored as nominees atthe Beaver County Women of the YearAwards Dinner.

The annual event is sponsored by theBeaver Valley Business and ProfessionalWomen’s Club.

CAMPUSUPDATE

Page 14 Penn State Beaver Nittany News Fall 2008

Five Penn State Beaver facultymembers were honored at the an-nual Awards Banquet.

Teresa Baumgardner, instructorin communications, arts, and sciences,received the Penn State Beaver AdvisoryBoard/NOVA Chemicals, Inc. Faculty Excel-lence in Service Award.

Dr. Minhnoi Wroble Biglan, assistantprofessor of psychology, received the PennState Beaver Advisory Board / Bayer Materi-alScience, LLC Faculty Excellence in Teach-ing Award.

Dr. Zhongyuan Che, assistant professor ofmathematics, received the Penn State BeaverAdvisory Board/Michael Baker CorporationFaculty Excellence in Research Award.

Dr. Michael Hay, associate professor ofchemistry, received the Club Advisor Award,and Dr. Kay Wijekumar, associate professorof information sciences and technology, re-ceived the Academic Advisor Award.

These awards are given by the campusstudent body.

———The University appointed Dr. Juliette

Storr, assistant professor of communications,to the 2008-2009 Executive Committee ofthe Penn State Commission for Women. Thegroup identifies areas of concern for the Uni-versity’s female employees and students andprovides a forum for exchanging ideas thatcan translate into improved practices to PennState women.

———Dr. Robin Bower, associate professor of

Spanish, will serve as a visiting professor in

the Department of Romance Lan-guages at Duke University duringthe 2009 spring semester. She willteach an upper-level undergraduate

seminar and a graduate seminar inmedieval Spanish literature.

In addition, her article “RememberingThings Past: Reading History, Writing Mem-ory, and the Poetics of Agency in ErnestoCardenal” was published in the refereed jour-nal, The Bulletin of Hispanic Studies, Vol. 85,Issue 3, 2008.

———Courtney Young was promoted to associ-

ate librarian in the University Libraries. Sheis also a reference librarian and associate pro-fessor of women’s studies and Honors Pro-gram Coordinator. She provides referenceassistance, teaches course-related library in-struction, and is responsible for Diversity col-lection development across the UniversityLibraries.

In addition, Young was elected to twothree-year term positions (2008-2011) in theAmerican Library Association (ALA). She iscouncilor-at-large to the ALA Council andvice president/president elect of the NewMembers’ Round Table (NMRT) which isthe ALA’s second largest round table.

———Dr. Cassandra Miller-Butterworth, assis-

tant professor of biology, presented “Illumi-nating the Darkness: The Upside DownWorld of Bat Research” which focused onMiller-Butterworth’s 10 years of research onbat genetics. The presentation was given atthe Penn State Department of Forestry, Uni-

versity Park campus, as part of her depart-ment’s Fall Seminar Series.

———Dr. Clare E. Conry-Murray, assistant

professor of psychology, presented “WhenMorality and Convention Clash: The Devel-opment of Reasoning about Gender andFairness” as part of the Developmental Psy-chology Proseminar at Penn State UniversityPark.

———Dr. John Chapin, associate professor of

communications and currently on sabbaticalfor the fall semester, was recently appointedto the Women’s Center of Beaver CountyBoard of Directors. Chapin is working withnumerous domestic violence and rape crisiscenters in western Pennsylvania as part of aWestern Regional Training Initiative.

———Dr. Carol Schafer, associate professor of

theatre, integrative arts, and women’s studiesat Penn State Beaver, had an article publishedin the noted journal, Comparative Drama, Vol.42, Summer 2008, Number 2. Schafer’s articleexplored the content and themes of threeplays by playwright Susan-Lori Parks, thefirst African-American woman to win aPulitzer Prize for drama for her 2001 play,Topdog/Underdog.

———Chapin and Schafer were featured in

“The Myths & Truths of Domestic Violence”in this fall’s issue of Penn State Outreachmagazine.

To read the article, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/35537.

FACULTYUPDATE

TeresaBaumgardner

Dr.MinhnoiWroble Biglan

Dr. ZhongyuanChe

Dr.MichaelHay

Dr. KayWijekumar

Dr. JulietteStorr

Dr. RobinBower

CourtneyYoung

Dr.CassandraMiller-Butterworth

Dr. Clare E.Conry-Murray

Dr. JohnChapin

Dr. CarolSchafer

Preseason poll

In November the PSUAC PreseasonCoaches’ Poll selected the Beaver LadyLions basketball team as the preseasonNo. 1 and the Nittany Lions men’s bas-ketball team as No. 3 following last sea-son’s record of 7-11 in the PSUAC and7-20 overall. The women are preparing fortheir second season of competition afterlast year’s PSUAC West DivisionTitle, PSUAC Championship,and USCAA National Tournament ap-pearance (16-3 PSUAC and 21-8 overall).Last season marked the return of women’sbasketball to Beaver campus after severaldecades.

Postseason honorsThe USCAA recognized five Penn

State Beaver athletes for their perform-ances this fall. Sophomore volleyballplayer Melissa Schultz, Beaver Area HighSchool, earned a spot on the USCAA Vol-leyball All-Academic Team for her aca-demic performance. Sophomore HeatherSandusky, New Brighton Area High

School, was named USCAA Volley-ball All-American. She earned anhonorable mention in her fresh-man season. Soccer team sopho-

mores Cory Anderson, Kane HighSchool, and Cameron Fertenbaugh,

Cumberland Valley High School, as wellas freshman Todd Long, Kane HighSchool, were named USCAA HonorableMention All-American. The men arefirst-time recipients of the honor.

Top student athletesTwo student-athletes were honored for

their success in and out of the classroomat last spring’s Annual Athletic AwardsLuncheon. Sophomore Zack Fetchin(men’s basketball) was named Male Stu-dent-Athlete of the Year. He is a major inthe Division of Undergraduate Studies.Senior business major Becky Garcia (soft-ball) was named Female Student-Athleteof the Year.

More infoPenn State Beaver is a member of the

Penn State University Athletic Confer-ence and the United States CollegiateAthletic Association. For updates and in-formation, visit www.beaver.psu.edu andclick on Quick Links.

Fall 2008 Penn State Beaver Nittany News Page 15

THE ROAR/JUSTIN VORBACH

Jesse Wory steals possession of the ball and clears it to safety during the soc-cer team’s first-round playoff game against Penn State Hazleton.

Strong fall for varsity sports

Athletics Dept. makes staff changes

� The Nittany Lions baseball team endedthe first half of their season in mid-Octoberwith a record of 9-5 when they defeated PennState New Kensington in a PSUAC double-header. The team will return to action for aweek of spring training in Florida fromMarch 7-13 and will head to WaynesburgUniversity for their first game of the springseason led by HeadCoach Dave Dennis-ton.

� Head Coach Bob Dawson led the No. 3seed men’s soccer team to the PSUAC play-offs but the Lions lost at home to No. 6 seedPenn State Hazleton, 3-1. The team ended itssecond season at 8-4-1 in the PSUAC and 9-9-1 overall.

� The Lady Lions volleyball team, led byHead Coach Dan Smith, closed its season

with a third place finish in thePSUAC Championship with an

18-2 conference record and anoverall record of 20-12.

Bert DeSalvo, women’s basketball headcoach, was recently appointed as athletic, in-tramural, and recreational sports (AIRS) su-pervisor. Duties include assisting AndyKirschner, athletic director, with all AthleticOffice operations.

DeSalvo holds a bachelor’s degree in his-tory from the University of Rhode Island andis completing a master’s degree in sports lead-ership at Duquesne University.

Jessica Jackson, residence life and studentactivities coordinator, is the new assistant

coach of the Lady Lions basketball team. Herresponsibilities include on-floor coaching, re-cruiting, academic monitoring, and film ex-change.

Jackson attended Lynchburg College inVirginia where she worked with the LadyHornets basketball team and received the OldDominion Athletic Conference All-Acade-mic Accolades.

She holds a master’s degree in communitycounseling and a bachelor’s degree in psychol-ogy from Lynchburg College.

The fall semester has seen an increase inboth the number of volunteer opportu-

nities available on campus and the studentstaking advantage of the programs.

One of the most popular volunteer activitieson campus is conducted through Big Brothers/BigSisters (BB/BS) of Beaver County. More than 30 cam-pus students (Bigs) are providing one-on-one youthmentoring for area children (Littles), ages 8 through 14.

A BB/BS staff member brings the children to cam-pus, where each Big spends about three hours a weekwith his/her Little. Depending on the child’s age, activi-ties can include tutoring, studying, technology training,playing games, athletics, or just talking one-on-one.

Interest in the BB/BS program continues to growevery year, according to Dr.Chris Rizzo, director of stu-dent affairs. “The program has become part of the com-munity service fabric of the campus,” Rizzo said. “I’vebeen very impressed with Quiana Hayes, the BB/BSprogram coordinator for the campus. Her passion trans-

Office of Campusand Community RelationsRoss Administration Building, Suite 201100 University DriveMonaca, PA 15061

Phone: 724.773.3815Fax: 724.773.3578Email: amk6@psu.eduAOL IM: BrAdmissions

The Nittany News is a publication of the Penn StateBeaver Office of Campus and Community Relations.Please direct all inquiries about this newsletter to724.773.3815 or amk6@psu.edu. This publication isavailable in alternative media upon request.U.Ed BR 09-07Newsletter design by Cathy Benscoter. Most portrait pho-tography by Kevin R. Cooke, Graule Studios, Rochester, Pa.

www.beaver.psu.edu

Students show passion for volunteering

Photo by Cathy Benscoter

Sophomore psychology major Lisa Schnelbach plays a game with her Little Sisterduring a November Big Brothers/Big Sisters event.CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

STUDENTUPDATE

Through their relationships with the ‘Littles,’ our students realize they’re doing somethingimportant, something bigger than themselves.