This series will be offered at three convenient locations Pittsburgh Inn and Suites on Banksville Road in Pittsburgh, Crowne Plaza on Fort Couch Road in the South Hills, and Holiday Inn on Mosside Blvd. in Monroeville each week for thirteen weeks, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., enabling participants to earn 40 CPEs and .4 CEUs. 

For additional infromation, call 412-675-9040 or you can register online for these courses.

The event was the pinnacle of the Greater Allegheny athletics schedule this week, as the wrestling, and both women’s and men’s basketball teams combined to pick up three victories in the seven day span. 

The wrestling team defeated PSUAC rival, Penn State Beaver 30-12, using pins from Genkie Stoutamire and Andre Ellis. 

Women’s basketball picked up two wins this week, including a thrilling, 64-60 victory over Westmoreland Community College; they also defeated Penn State Worthington Scranton 73-59.  Christina Floyd earned her fourth double-double of the season in Saturday’s win over Scranton, scoring 18 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.

Men’s basketball suffered two tough defeats, but still produced strong individual performances: Aaron Byrd scored 11 points and accumulated 14 rebounds in the loss to Worthington-Scranton, with Jeremy McMunn adding 13. 

Penn State Greater Allegheny will hosted its fall commencement on Thursday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. in Wunderley Gymnasium. Chancellor Curtiss E. Porter, Ph.D. presided as baccalaureate degree candidates are honored.

Keynote speaker was Dara Ware Allen, the first Chief Operating Officer of Leadership Pittsburgh (LPI).  Allen previously served as the Executive Director of YouthWorks and as Director of Penn State’s Educational Opportunity Centers of Southwestern PA.  Allen has served on the Pittsburgh Public School Board as the representative of Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl as well as on numerous other local boards and steering committees.

Allen is a graduate of Leadership Development Initiative (Class V) and Leadership Pittsburgh (Class XXVIII).  She is also a founding member of the Urban League Young Professionals of Pittsburgh, was named a “40 Under 40” award winner in 2002, sponsored by Pittsburgh Magazine and Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project, and recently was recognized as one of the New Pittsburgh Couriers’ “Women of Excellence.”  A graduate of Pittsburgh Public Schools and Spelman College, Allen also holds a doctoral degree in Workforce Education and Development from Penn State. 

The Penn State Greater Allegheny Alumni Society sponsored its 24th annual Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 9 a.m. in the campus’ Student Community Center. The society hosted 100 disadvantaged children from the Mon Valley area.

The event included activities and entertainment throughout the morning. Children enjoyed a delicious breakfast, a visit with Santa, candy, and plenty of holiday magic.  Each child selected a present and enjoyed the magic of the day.

In keeping with the Teaching International theme for this year, the Theatre 282 class has prepared a set of Celtic Folk Tales for presentation this weekend . They will be on stage at the FCC Theatre on Thursday, the 6th, at 12:30pm (Common Hour), then Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30pm. Three tales will be presented: one from Ireland, one from Scotland, and one from Wales. Each tale involves a wee bit of Celtic magic.

The one from Ireland, "The Green Glass Bottle," is about Paddy O'Tool, a poor farmer who trades his family's last cow for a green bottle, offered to him by one of "the Good People" (fairy folk). The little green man promises that Paddy will be very happy with the trade.

The story from Scotland, "Straight John," is a progressive quest story in which the hero is guided by a magical fox as he searches through many challenges to comply with a geis-- a spell of obligation placed on him by his step-mother, the Queen.

The story from Wales, "Six and Four Make Ten," features a song and dance created by a magical spell cast by a young sorcerer, a student at Oxford who happens to be a descendant of the great Merlin.

We hope you will join us--and encourage others to attend with you--to enjoy a bit of Celtic lore enacted by our students.

David Shelow has performed with the most experienced traditional Irish and Scottish musicians in the Pittsburgh area and has entertained public and private audiences with his evocative arrangements of traditional tunes for solo finger-style guitar.  Originally from the Midwest, he has made his home in southwest Pennsylvania for the last twenty years, performing, teaching and repairing instruments.

"There is something about guitars -maybe something magical- when played right, which evokes past, mysterious, barely conscious sentiments, both individual and universal."  -John Fahey, American Guitarist/Composer.

www.davidshelow.com

On Thursday November 15, at 12:15 p.m. in the Student Community Center, the Teaching International program is sponsoring a series of presentatons around the global challenges to provide sanitation.

Keynote Speaker: Ian Lipsky, "Toilet Innovations for the Developing World"

Mr. Lipsky earned degrees from the University of Pennsylvania (Latin American Studies) and The Cooper Union (Civil/Mechanical Engineering).

He did his graduate work at Cornell University (Biological and Environmental Engineering).

Dr. Mildred Mickle: Poetry Reading

·         "To the Pay Toilet" by Marge Piercy

·         "Toilets" by T.S. Eliot

·         "The Great Palaces of Versailles" by Rita Dove

Student Drama Club: A dramatic reading of the book, Everybody Poops

 Tim Tolbert, Erick Tall, Raven Moore, Brittany Boucher, Collin Warren

 Lauren Pruitt, Kate Monezis, Brandi Telli, Mike Mattis, Courtney Handlovitch

Dr. Megan Nagel:  "Reinventing the Toilet: How Technology Can Improve Sanitation around the World"

Dr. Eric Lipsky:  "Where to Go When Not In Rome? Learning about Toilet Diversity"

Dr. Kurt Torell:  World Sanitation Crisis -- Posters

Dr. Doretta Whalen, Director Penn State Greater A Cappella Melody Lions medley "The Water Is Wide" and "O Shenandoah" (arr. Dr Doretta Whalen)

               Brittany Boucher, Weng Choong Chan, Courtney Handlovitch, Danisha Holcomb, Keith Jenkins,
               Michael Mattis, Christina Moriarty, Marc Shively - acoustic guitar, Timothy Tolbert - vocal soloist, Yi Wen

Laurie Ventura, R.N., Campus Nurse/Health Coordinator: “Hygiene + Sanitation = Life”

Prof. Michael Vicaro: “Shit Speaks: Political Struggles over the Meaning of the Body”

Dr. Verónica Montecinos: “Sanitation and Gender”

Video: "Imagine No Toilet." Uploaded by Michael Malz on Nov 21, 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yf7T1fq1Gc

Legacy" was the theme of the ninth annual All That’s Jazz Student Scholarship event, held Oct. 27 at Penn State Greater Allegheny. And a legacy was definitely provided – in the amount of $105,528, which will be added to the campus’ student scholarship fund.

Penn State Greater Allegheny Chancellor Curtiss Porter explained that now, more than ever before, there is a real need for scholarship funding, with more than 91 percent of students requiring financial aid. Students Maria Marroquin from Washington, D.C., and Michael Monezis from McKeesport, Pa., demonstrated that need, thanking the crowd of advisory board members, alumni, faculty, staff and friends. Both receive scholarship funds, and would not be able to attend college without a little help from the donors in the room.

Amy Michaliszyn, title sponsor of the event spoke to the crowd of nearly 200 and remembered fondly her days at Penn State Greater Allegheny, where she met her then-future husband, Dave. She talked of some days having only enough money to choose between eating lunch or riding the bus home. Through their generosity to Penn State, the Michaliszyns are helping to make sure that students today do not have to make that choice. They made the lead gift in the reverse auction. In the reverse auction, funds are raised specifically for student materials such as books and laptops. The roles are reversed and prices decrease over time. As the price comes down, more and more people offer bids. All bids are winners, and more students receive assistance.

Amy Michaliszyn also had the idea to develop a “backpack” campaign, where donors could fund the price of a backpack filled with common school supplies, approximately $200, or they could pick and choose items to “buy” to help fill a back pack.

The night’s feature was, of course, live jazz music. This year’s entertainment served as a tribute to the "Legacy of Jazz." Jazz legend Benny Benack Jr. and his bandmates led the show. Throughout the performance, individual band members were replaced by new musicians, eventually showcasing Benny Benack III, recent and youngest ever winner of the International Trumpet Guild Carmine Caruso Jazz Trumpet Competition, along with his quintet representing the new young lions of jazz, direct from New York City.

Nancy Seifert watched the evening’s event unfold on the very stage named in memory of her late husband, William. As the entertainment and decorations underwriter, Seifert was closely involved, with David Pellow, entertainment co-chairman, in selecting the musicians for the event. She also oversaw the design of the decor, provided by Vital Signs and the floral arrangements by Bill Chisnell Productions. Chisnell created a symbolic tree featuring the names of legendary jazz players. Vital Signs decorations included a Walk of Fame with musicians’ names on stars. A slide show was also played featuring previous All That’s Jazz performers and local jazz legends.

Also providing assistance to Clifford Wise, president of the Penn State Greater Allegheny Advisory Board, were Bill Flanagan, master of ceremonies; Nancy Traina and Amy Michaliszyn, Capital Campaign Committee co-chairwomen; and special guests broadcaster Bill Hillgrove and former Pittsburgh Steeler Craig Wolfley.

The event encompasses many levels of sponsorship. In addition to the sponsors mentioned above, patrons included Mark R. Gruskin, Margaret L. Signorella, Specialty Steel Products Inc. and UPMC McKeesport. A host of ambassadors, supporters, contributors and friends also donated to the worthy cause.

Plans are already underway for the 10th anniversary All That’s Jazz Scholarship Benefit scheduled for next year. For more information on how donations can help Penn State Greater Allegheny students, contact Director of Development Joe Edmiston at jre14@psu.edu or 412-675-9047.

In the meantime, there are a few things all of us can do now to be prepared at home and at Penn State to help ensure everyone’s safety and the continued operations of the University.

Monitor the weather situation to ensure you have the most up-to-date forecast. The latest weather information is available at http://www.weather.gov/pittsburgh (western Pennsylvania).

If you don’t already subscribe to the PSUTXT emergency notification system, sign up now to receive text message alerts via cell phone: http://live.psu.edu/psutxt

To learn more about basic emergency preparedness tips and to find contacts should you need help during or after a storm, download the state’s Emergency Preparedness Guide: http://www.readypa.org/download/EmergencyPreparednessGuide.pdf (pdf).

You may also wish to consult the following web sites for more information on the approaching storm:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/hazards.php
http://www.weather.gov/
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ready.php

Brian Bittner
Emergency Manager
Penn State

A Penn State English major, Rich Frank has been Director of Advertising and New Media for the Baltimore Orioles. In his six seasons with the Orioles, Rich was the leader of the Major League Baseball team’s external branding, marketing and advertising – including TV, radio, print, outdoor, and online campaigns – as well as the team’s official website and social media efforts. He is now living closer to his hometown, where he is the Marketing Creative Director at AccuWeather.

Please join us to learn more about how to pursue this exciting career--plus, free pizza!

Dr. Hegerty received his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, where he is a Senior Lecturer in the History Department. He is a British and Modern European historian by profession, and he teaches a course on The Irish in America. He has done research in Ireland, and he will be teaching there this summer. Dr. Hagerty's current writing projects are on democracy and public opinion in Europe and the United States. He has been known, on occasion, to play and sing both the blues and Irish music.

Penn State Day at Penn State Greater Allegheny begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at the campus, 4000 University Drive, McKeesport, Pa. Valuable information about degree programs, admission strategies, financial aid opportunities and housing options will be offered during the campus open house. This event will be useful to  current high school students, recent high school graduates or adults returning to college. Activities include touring the campus, meeting athletes, participating in activities with students, participating in the application workshop. For those who bring their transcripts, the $50 application fee will be waived.

This year an "Oktoberfest" lunch will be available served with Penn State ice cream.

For more information and to register, call 412-675-9010.

Penn State Days in Pennsylvania occur at Penn State campuses across the state from Oct. 13 to 20. Participants can visit as many Penn State campuses as they wish. Different times and dates to apply to the various campuses.

The talk is entitled "The FBI, Obscenity, and History," and is based on Prof. Charles's most recent book, The FBI Obscene Files.

Penn State Greater Allegheny students from Puerto Rico who play on the campus' baseball team, along with Jim Chester, athletic director and head baseball coach, had an opportunity to meet with members of Roberto Clemente's family at PNC Park. The 40th anniversary of Clemente's 3,000th base hit in Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh was commemorated during a pregame ceremony with Vera Clemente, widow of Roberto Clemente, and his sons Roberto Jr., Luis and Enrique.

A private meeting with the Clemente family was arranged prior to the game through Jim Chester and the Roberto Clemente Foundation, Chester visited Puerto Rico last year to recruit students and had an opportunity to meet several students that were interested in studying at the Greater Allegheny campus and to play baseball.

"Roberto Clemente means so much to the city of Pittsburgh, but nothing compares to what he means to the people of Puerto Rico. The opportunity for these young men to meet the Clemente family will be a memory they will cherish forever," said Chester.

The PSUGA Student Government Association will hold a Register to Vote campaign on Thursday September 27th from 12:15 - 4:00 p.m. at the Information Desk located on the upper level of the SCC.

Pennsylvania voter registration forms will be available for students to complete and the SGA will provide postage stamps and take the completed forms to the campus mail room to be sent to the Voter Registration Office.

For those students who are already registered to vote but are in need of an absentee ballot application, such applications will also be available.

The campus library has composed a web site with information about voting information:
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/greaterallegheny/community/electioninfo.html

Students who need an acceptable ID in Pennsylvania to vote can get an expiration sticker for their Penn State IDs at the Housing and Food Services, Room 204, Student Community Center (see also http://live.psu.edu/story/61217)

The third annual Boy Scout Merit Badge University is being hosted by Troop 338 of the Laurel Highlands Council at Penn State Greater Allegheny, along with the Penn State Lion Ambassadors, and THON organizations. It will be held on Saturday, November 3.

Pre registration is required. No scout will be admitted without a pre registration form. Deadline to register is October 29, 2012.

Registration is $10 per scout. Driving directions to Penn State Greater Allegheny and an overview of the campus map are available. For more information, contact either Mary Jane Popovich at 412-881-5950; Maryjanevincepop@aol.com.

Penn State Greater Allegheny will participate in the fourth annual Day of Giving on Oct. 3.  All charitable donations made to Penn State Greater Allegheny through http://www.pittsburghgives.org on the Day of Giving will be matched with a portion of The Pittsburgh Foundation's $750,000 matching pool. Greater Allegheny donors may designate their gift to one or more of the activities listed below:

-- The ninth annual All That's Jazz Scholarship fundraiser, scheduled for Oct. 27, which will benefit student scholarships;

-- For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, which has a goal to raise $5 million at Penn State Greater Allegheny in support for scholarships, co-curricular activities and professorial scholarship by June 2014;

-- The Sam Zabec Trustee Matching Scholarship, honoring retired instructor Sam Zabec;

-- Greater Allegheny's international study programs, which expose students to the larger world in which they will soon emerge as leaders; and

-- The Absence Literary Magazine, showcasing the creative side of our students, alumni, faculty and staff.

Support of these activities will allow Penn State Greater Allegheny to continue to be a positive influence in the lives of students and the growth of the region. Gifts made at any time during the Day of Giving will leverage the additional support for the campus, but gifts can be made through this portal at any time.

For additional information or if you have questions, contact Joseph Edmiston, director of development, at 412-675-9047 or jre14@psu.edu.  
 

A great jazz legacy will be celebrated with former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Craig Wolfley lending his support to raising funds for student scholarships at the ninth annual "All That's Jazz" fundraiser at Penn State Greater Allegheny, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 27.

The event will be held at the Penn State Greater Allegheny Student Community Center, 4000 University Drive, McKeesport. All proceeds will be added to the Penn State Greater Allegheny Scholarship Fund, so guests will be contributing to students' success as they dine, dance and enjoy the jazz.

For the fourth consecutive year, Penn State Greater Allegheny Advisory Board member Bill Flanagan will serve as emcee.

Wolfley will provide entertainment, insight and humor during the reverse auction and live auction portions of the evening. Wolfley played for 10 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and was recently selected as a member of the Steelers All-Century Team, voted by fans as a “team” of the best players to ever wear a Steelers uniform. He is heard weekly as a sports commentator on the WDVE 102.5 FM morning show.

This year’s theme is "Legacy," focusing on “the old meeting the new.” The menu will include both old favorites and new gourmet cuisine.

The evening’s featured entertainment is jazz music. Jazz legend Benny Benack Jr. and his band mates will lead the show. Throughout the performance, individual band members will be replaced by new musicians, eventually showcasing Benny Benack III, recent and youngest ever winner of the International Trumpet Guild Carmine Caruso Jazz Trumpet Competition, along with his quintet representing the new young lions of jazz, direct from New York City

“The vast majority, 91 percent, of students at Penn State Greater Allegheny are eligible for student aid," said Penn State Greater Allegheny Chancellor Curtiss E. Porter. "In these tough economic times, scholarship funds are increasingly important to our students and their families. The funds raised at 'All That’s Jazz' can make the difference between students staying in college or having to make some hard decisions about their futures."

Since 2004, "All That’s Jazz" has raised nearly $500,000 for the Penn State Greater Allegheny Scholarship Fund.

Event chair Clifford Wise, president of the Penn State Greater Allegheny Advisory Board, and the "All That’s Jazz" committee are planning an evening of classic jazz, delicious food, a live auction, a silent theme auction, and the popular Blue and White mystery auction. Auction items will include a week’s stay at Kiawah Island and an autographed Franco Harris football.

Penn State alumnus Skip Dreibelbis and Edward “Ed” Plachecki of True Blue Auctions in State College, Pa., will provide live auction services at this year’s event. This is the third consecutive year that Dreibelbis has auctioneered at the event.

The public is invited to join in the festivities to help support student scholarships. Tickets are $100 each or ten for $900. Information on tickets and sponsorship opportunities can be obtained by calling 412-675-9048.

According to Dr. Novosel, the historical and political situation in Northern Ireland is “loaded” emotionally for many Americans of Irish descent and for those who see the conflict in terms of Imperialism and Colonialism and the fight of a “small nation to be free and united.” However, he believes that this conflict was/is much more complicated than simple slogans, such as “Brits Out” or “No Surrender.” His talk analyzed this period and its actors in all their complexity. As part of the discussion, he also addressed the question, “Do you ever talk to Terrorists?”

Dr. Novosel teaches in the History Department at Pitt. Since 1974, he has traveled regularly to Northern Ireland. Over the past five years, he has worked with grassroots organizations in Belfast. He recently completed a book, Northern Ireland's Lost Opportunity: The Frustrated Promise of Political Loyalism, to be published in 2013.

Teaching International began in 2004 to promote greater awareness of global trends and civic engagement and to broaden students' understanding of intercultural and international issues. This year's focus on the Celtic Nations, defined as Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Isle of Man, and Cornwall. The accompanying theme for the year is water, which not only is related to sustainability issues, but to broader themes such as human rights.

Ta'Juan Dutrieuille, of McKeesport, Pa., an incoming freshman and student-athlete at Penn State Greater Allegheny, has been named one of the 2012 Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities Scholarship recipients by the Major League Baseball Charities. The award was announced  on the official MLB.com website.

Dutrieuille was selected because he demonstrated both academic achievement and community involvement. He volunteered on community service projects with the Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania. He is attending Penn State Greater Allegheny as an engineering student.

Dutrieuille will be recognized at the 20th RBI World Series in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.

Steel artifacts that have been transformed into sculptures of steelworkers are set to make their way to their new home on Pittsburgh’s South Side. Eric Lipsky, assistant professor in engineering at Penn State Greater Allegheny, was a participating artist and consulting engineer on the project.

According to Lipsky, the 20-foot-tall sculptures have taken more than 15 years to build, and are made out of ties from the Hot Metal bridge and scrap from a vanished steel mill, both in Pittsburgh. They will make the journey from the LTV Coke Plant in Hazelwood, Pa., to their permanent home in the South Side Riverfront Park, Pittsburgh, this week, with plans for completion in time for an unveiling on Labor Day, Sept. 3.

Lipsky helped with the structural analysis, modeling the entire sculpture in CAD (Computer Aided Design) software. “The model has been used to help with the layout, evaluating the design of the supporting pad, and transporting the structures. I also used the project for a couple of class projects with my students,” said Lipsky.

The sculpture, titled "The Workers," honors the region's workers -- past, present and future. Created by 21 artists of the Pittsburgh Industrial Arts Co-Op (IAC), these figures are a testament to the collaborations and unions that have, and continue to, forge the region.

The installation is being supported by PJ Dick Corporation, Pittsburgh; and Century Steel Erectors, Dravosburg, Pa. The project was originally commissioned and funded by the City of Pittsburgh, the Department of City Planning and the Heinz Endowments. The IAC is a collective Pittsburgh-based group of regional artists who have been facilitating and executing collaborative public-arts projects for more than a decade.

MaryEllen Higgins, associate professor of English at Penn State Greater Allegheny, was recently interviewed about her forthcoming book, "Hollywood’s Africa after 1994," on the radio station WBEZ in Chicago.

Milos Stehlik, host of the series “World View,” discussed the myth of Africa as portrayed by Hollywood in the post-apartheid era, and conducted the interview with Higgins, in cooperation with WQED's studio in Pittsburgh.

Higgins’s book investigates Hollywood’s colonial film legacy in the post-apartheid era and contemplates what’s changed in how the West represents Africa. The book is slated for release in November 2012.

The interview can be heard on the WBEZ radio website.

Higgins is also the coauthor of "The Historical Dictionary of French Cinema." Her publications include articles and book chapters in "Research in African Literatures," "Tulsa Studies in Women’s Literature," "African Literature Today, Journal of Commonwealth Literature," "Perspectives on African Literatures at the Millennium," and "Broadening the Horizon: Critical Introductions to Amma Darko."

The convocation celebrates the campus’ dedication to student-centered success, global education, and community engagement. Since its beginning at the current location in 1957, the Greater Allegheny campus continues to serve as a key factor in the revitalization of Pennsylvania’s southwest region.

Margaret Signorella, director of academic affairs, will serve as master of ceremonies along with Curtiss E. Porter, Penn State Greater Allegheny’s chancellor.

This year’s guest speaker will be Clifford Manlove, associate professor of English at Greater Allegheny.

Manlove has been a member of the Penn State Greater Allegheny faculty since 2001 and was tenured as an associate professor in 2007. He earned his doctoral degree in English from the University of Missouri at Columbia, his master’s degree in English literature from the University of New Hampshire at Durham, and his bachelor’s degree in English at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. His undergraduate work included studies at Trinity College in Wales, the United Kingdom. Manlove has served as chair of the Faculty Senate, chair of the Academic Integrity Committee, and a discipline coordinator in English for the University College. He is currently the adviser of the campus’ literary and visual arts magazine, Absence.

Manlove has one book-length manuscript in progress on the first-ever Jamaican feature film, The Harder They Come (1972), the classic reggae film starring Jimmy Cliff

We recommend the term "nation" when referring to these six "official" regions/islands. It is a useful term because it is tied to notions of ethnicity, culture, and geography rather than political status. Several nations can exist within a single country, or can span national borders (as is the case with Ireland).

The term "country" denotes a "sovereign" status that only the Republic of Ireland enjoys (excluding N. Ireland). The other five nations have some degree of "home rule," but are not independent.

The preferred pronunciation of Celtic is with a hard C (i.e., like a K), although this issue continues to be debated. In general, however, the soft-C pronunciation (i.e., like an S) seems to be reserved for sports teams and the more academic venues use the hard-K (see, for example, "Is it 'keltic' or 'seltic'?").

The accompanying theme for the year is water, which not only is related to sustainability issues, but to broader themes such as human rights.

For details and more information, please contact head baseball coach, Jim Chester, at jjc32@psu.edu or at 412-675-9460.

Game Day Schedule

12:00 p.m. BP/Pre-Game
1:00 p.m. 7 inning Game
3:30 p.m. Alumni Social-Chick's Bar and Grill

When customers drive into the Green Grocer Wholesale Produce parking lot on O’Neil Blvd., in White Oak, Pennsylvania, the first person that they are greeted by is Stephen Bamiduro.  Always smiling, always talking with the customers, Stephen is a college student at Penn State Greater Allegheny who is happy to be working outdoors and saving some money for his next semester at Penn State’s University Park campus. “I was so excited to be notified that I was accepted into the petroleum and natural gas engineering program in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences” says Bamiduro, “that I immediately started making plans to move to University Park in the fall.” 

Bamiduro always knew that he would attend college; he just wasn’t sure which one. Growing up, he had many interests and thought he wanted to be a doctor, until the day his father showed him an article in the New York Times Magazine about Nigeria, the home land of his parents.

The article was about crude oil burning in Africa and how the flames lit up the sky even at night. “The photo in the magazine showed the sky all lit up, and that fascinated me,” he said. From that point forward, he decided to be an engineer with the intent of traveling to Nigeria and helping that nation with their land.

His choice to attend Penn State Greater Allegheny came as a result of an admissions counselor, Ms. Sarah Ma, visiting his high school and talking with him. After she left, he googled Penn State and was impressed with the rankings. “The information I found online confirmed what she told me about Penn State,” he said. “Great reputation, largest alumni group, and first choice for recruiters, that’s all I needed to know… I was sold on Penn State!”

It’s obvious that Stephen loves working with the customers at his summer job.  His hopes and dreams keep him motivated. One day, after he spends time in Africa, Stephen hopes to travel to Alaska to work in the oil fields and to see the aurora borealis.  With a big smile, he adds, “I guess bright lights still fascinate me.” 

Twelve faculty members from Duy Tan University in Da Nang, Vietnam, arrived in Pittsburgh on June 21 for a four-week stay on campus at Penn State Greater Allegheny. The visit is part of a partnership between Penn State Greater Allegheny and Duy Tan University launched in the summer of 2010. The Duy Tan faculty members are taking courses from Penn State business faculty, studying strategic management, money and banking, financial modeling, and financial markets and institutions, before returning to Vietnam on July 23.

In addition to taking classes, the Vietnamese faculty visited The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington, Pa., for a behind-the-scenes tour, where they learned about consumer spending and economic activity in this industry. A scheduled trip to The First Commonwealth Bank in Whitehall, Pa., was also on their agenda.

In addition to taking classes and touring businesses, the visiting faculty toured Washington, D.C., the weekend of July 14-15 and took a trip to Penn State’s University Park campus.

“We are pleased to once again have the faculty from Duy Tan University back on our campus and studying in our classrooms,” said Curtiss E. Porter, chancellor at Penn State Greater Allegheny. “We hope to continue to strengthen our partnership and reinforce the global emphasis of both of our universities.”

The program is being coordinated by Penn State Greater Allegheny faculty member Bernie Cerasaro, instructor in business administration.

Penn State Greater Allegheny alumnus, Jim Crowley grew up loving photography. In fact, since the age of 10, he started taking photos in what he refers to as a “snapshot documentary” style. He would photograph activities of his life - including family, friends, and events. As he grew older, his wife and three children have helped to expand his repertoire of subjects and the events from his life’s journey. These days, he “hardly goes anywhere without some type of camera,” said Crowley.

Photography continued to be a very serious hobby for Crowley and he joined the Harrisburg Camera Club (HCC) to try and gain a new photographic perspective. “Through my experiences at HCC, the digital competitions, print critiques, guest speakers, and gallery shows, I have learned a tremendous amount and now find myself looking at photography more from a fine art perspective,” said Crowley.

Crowley submitted three of his photos in response to a call for entries for the Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2012 Exhibition, and one of his entries, entitled “Abandoned Gymnasium” was selected. Along with winning 2nd place in the photography category, it was selected for purchase by the Director of the State Museum for inclusion into the museum’s permanent collection. “It seems that I have secured a permanent place in Pennsylvania’s art legacy,” said Crowley.

The winning photo was taken at the J.W. Cooper School located in Shenandoah, Pa. The school was first used as a temporary hospital and morgue during the flu epidemic of 1918. In 1919, it finally opened as Shenandoah High School and was later renamed to the J.W. Cooper School. In the early 1980s, the school closed for a short period for asbestos removal and in 1986, it was replaced by a new facility.

The second place cash prize of $300 was awarded by Art of the State, to Crowley who donated the amount to ABSENCE, Penn State Greater Allegheny’s Literary & Visual Art Review.

Clifford Manlove, associate professor of English at Greater Allegheny and adviser to ABSENCE, was happy to receive the news from Crowley. “It is my hope that work from alums will serve as an inspiration for our current students, reminding them that art should remain an important part of their lives and that they can make a living from it,” said Manlove. “Jim’s donation to ABSENCE will help with next year’s production and paper costs.”

“Abandoned Gymnasium” was later submitted and won a 1st place award in the Harrisburg Camera Clubs Digital Image of the Year Competition.

Crowley’s photos were also accepted in a blind review by the student editors of ABSENCE and published in the 2011 and 2012 editions of the campus’ literary and visual arts review.

Penn State Greater Allegheny has been named the 2012 Gold Winner in the College/University division of The Pittsburgh Tribune Review's Readers' Choice Award. Readers of the Tribune Review newspaper voted for Penn State Greater Allegheny as their top choice in the college/university category.

Students can complete a bachelor's degree at Penn State Greater Allegheny or can complete the first two years of their education in one of the more than 160 majors offered at Penn State. Degrees that can be completed at Penn State Greater Allegheny include business; communications; English; information sciences and technology; letters, arts and sciences; and psychology. Fore more information about Penn State Greater Allegheny or to schedule a tour of the campus, contact the Admissions Office at psuga@psu.edu or visit the campus website at www.ga.psu.edu.

Incoming freshman will have an opportunity to hone their academic skills in engineering, mathematics, English composition, and physics.  The Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program begins at Penn State Greater Allegheny on July 30, and runs through August 23.  Openings are available to students who apply to the program by submitting essays about their academic and career goals and describing how participation in the program will benefit them.  During the four-week session, students stay on campus to experience firsthand the academic and social aspects of a Penn State education.

The cost of room and board, field trips, text books, extracurricular activities and faculty instruction was defrayed by two generous grants.  The largest grant was received from the Pittsburgh-based EQT Foundation; the second was received from the National Science Foundation.

For more information on how to apply, contact the Academic Affairs Department at 412-675-9140. Application deadline is June 29.

Penn State is now offering an RN to B.S. program that can be completed in 10.5 months by attending classes one day a week at Greater Allegheny.

The University's Video Learning Network (VLN) will be used to broadcast the program from Penn State Fayette to Greater Allegheny and two other locations across Pennsylvania.

The Penn State RN to B.S. program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission, Inc., and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Additional details are available on the Penn State Outreach web site. Or, attend the open house on June 20 from 3 to 7 p.m. in Frable 119 and talk with Melissa Miner, the program coordinator.

Questions? Contact Barbara Fenton, campus registrar's office, 412-675-9172 or bjf7@psu.edu.

The Spring 2012 Student Research Conference sponsored by Teaching International, the Honors Program, and Greener Allegheny, was held on April 12, 2012. Thirty posters were displayed and entered into the competition.

The winners are listed below.

Honors Category

Ramon Rivera, Alkylation of Sulfides in the Human Body, CHEM 212H, Dr. Bittner

Middle East Category

Erika Vasques & Karin Botti, Exposing Harmful Middle-Eastern Stereotypes Using an Advice-Taking Measure, PSYCH 301W, Dr. Signorella

Millenium Development Goals Category

Jindi Chen, Tongzhe Cheng, & Yu Wang, Assessing the State of Education in Yemen, MGMT 301, Dr. Hough

Sustainability Category

Vallerie Frazier, Bacterial Flora of Renziehausen Park's Sulfur Springs, MICRO 107H, Mrs. Mitchell

Members of the 2012 Psi Chi International Honor Society were inducted on April 11 at a candle light service.

Welcomed into Psi Chi at the event were Rachel Burke, Adrian Ceresa, Danielle Cook, Kelly Kovalsky, Kimberly Owens, Ramon Rivera, and Erika Vasques. Current members Aleksandra Evstiounina and Karry Smith helped with the ceremony. Also inducted were Andrew Pollman, Jordan Patil, Sherri Smith, and Carrie Ulakovic.

Psi Chi is the International Honor Society in Psychology, founded in 1929 for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. Since the 2007 installation of our campus chapter, membership has been open to PSUGA students who are at least second-semester sophomores, majoring or minoring in psychology with at least 9 credits in psychology completed, who rank in the upper 35% of their class in general scholarship, earn an overall GPA of at least 3.0, and a psychology GPA of at least 3.0.

Our Penn State chapter not only recognizes academic achievement by granting membership in the Society, but also sponsors programs, often in collaboration with the campus Psychological Association, that augment the regular curriculum, offer service to the campus and the community, develop leadership skills, and provides opportunities to meet other students with similar interests and goals.

For more information about Psi Chi on our campus, contact adviser Dr. Elizabeth Mazur at emazur@psu.edu. For more information about grants, awards, and service programs, go to the national Psi Chi Web site at www.psichi.org. Psi Chi is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies and an affiliate of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science.

ABSENCE: Penn State Greater Allegheny's Literary & Visual Art Review announces its 2012, “Celebration of the Arts: A Reading and Reception for Volume 14,” from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25, in the Ostermayer Room of the Student Community Center.

The event will feature the best literary and visual art produced by members of the campus community during the past year. The event will also celebrate the arts with live performances, featuring: a preview from the campus' spring play, "How King Solomon Met the Queen of Sheba," which takes place at 7:30 p.m. April 26 to 28, in the Fitness and Cultural Center theatre space; performances by the campus choir and the drama club, and a presentation of the Seventh Annual Chancellor’s Prizes for the Best Literary and Visual Art. This event is free and open to the public. Copies of this year's issue, volume 14, will be available at the event.

Penn State Greater Allegheny hosted its spring commencement at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 5, in Wunderely Gymnasium. Chancellor Curtiss E. Porter presided as diplomas were conferred to 33 individuals receiving baccalaureate and associate degrees. The keynote speaker was John Lydon, chief executive officer (CEO) at the Auberle and Pauline Auberle Foundation.

Lydon has served as the CEO at the foundation in McKeesport since 2004. Auberle is a nonprofit social agency serving over 2,000 at-risk children and families in eight southwestern Pennsylvania counties. Many Penn State Greater Allegheny have interned at Auberle. Lydon has been involved with the nonprofit for more than 20 years as a volunteer, board member and board chair.

Prior to working at Auberle, Lydon practiced law in the Pittsburgh area and was founder and president of the Lydon and Schubert law firm. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Law.

Since serving as the CEO at Auberle, Lydon has transitioned the agency from a heavily residential organization to 16 diverse program areas; renovated existing facilities and designed and built new $2 million and $1 million facilities, and increased development revenue from $300 thousand per year to over $1 million per year annually.

Under his direction, the agency received a variety of awards and recognitions such as the Wishart Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management and the 2008 Top Ten Performer in the Nation by the national Alliance for Children and Families.

Lydon received his juris doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh and recently completed an Executive Leadership program with the University of Michigan School of Business and Social Work.

Lydon serves on a variety of organizations and boards in the region including the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership and The Tropman Fund Research Committee of The Forbes Funds.

Junior wrestler Soham Salvi has been named to the USCAA Non-Sport National All-Academic Team.

The National All-Academic Award is designed to recognize all student-athletes (Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors at 4 year institutions and Sophomores at 2 year institutions) and have an overall (cumulative) grade point average of 3.50 (on a 4.00 point system) or greater.

The Non-Sport All-Academic Award is for those student athletes that participate at a member institution in a sport that is not recognized by the USCAA.

Noon – 1 PM

Penn State Greater Allegheny Campus – Frable Building, Room 120

Ninth grade English teacher, Ms. Desiree Cherepko, will be on campus to share information about her career path with an English degree and what her job is like as a teacher in secondary education. Dr. MaryEllen Higgins, Associate Professor of English, will also be speaking about her career path in higher education.

All interested students, faculty, staff, and alumni are welcome to attend this session.

Pizza and beverages will be provided.

The theatre production classes at Penn State Greater Allegheny (Theatre 208 and Theatre 282) are preparing for their spring production, "How King Solomon Met the Queen of Sheba," at 7:30 p.m. April 26-28, in the Fitness and Cultural Center theatre space, as part of the campus Teaching International program.  

Given the sparse details about the circa 950 B.C. encounter between these two leaders provided in the Torah, Bible and Koran, the working script for the production (developed through class research, discussion, and improvisations) relies largely on Jewish and Arabic folk lore and period history to create what we hope is a plausible, sometimes humorous, lead up to their climactic meeting. 

The production also features a chorus of time-travelling Djinn (Genies), who provide a frame for the story, offering frequent commentary and transitions between scenes. The period costumes being constructed in the class will be enhanced by traditional attire graciously loaned by parents of some of the students.

This production is free and open to the public.

Students in the art course, Introduction to Drawing, at Penn State Greater Allegheny have joined the Memory Project, a nationwide initiative in which art students create original portraits for children around the world who have been orphaned, neglected, or disadvantaged (www.memoryproject.org

Given that children in such situations often have few personal keepsakes, the purpose of the portraits is to provide them with a special memory of their youth, to honor their heritage and identity, and to help them build a positive self-image, according to the Memory Project website. The site goes on to say that the project also provides an opportunity for young Americans to open their hearts to children who have endured many hardships, and to promote the value of sharing kindness with others.

To do this, the students receive photos of children who are waiting for portraits, and then work in their art classroom to create the portraits.  Once finished, the Memory Project delivers the portraits to the children.  “Later this year, we look forward to getting a photo of a smiling child, with the actual portrait in hand,” stated Barry Shields, adjunct instructor of the art course who is overseeing the project on campus. Students participating in the project include Brianna Clark, Dara Trail, Brittany Emerick and Sara Payo. This is the second year that Penn State Greater Allegheny students are participating in the project and will be creating portraits for four children in the Dominican Republic. “This project puts us in a global state of mind and provides an emotional charge to our drawing session," stated Shields.

The Memory Project is a program of the nonprofit organization My Class Cares based in Madison, Wisconsin.  Since the project began in 2004, more than 30,000 portraits have been produced by art students around the country.    

Over the weekend of 24 March 2012, 42 students and 2 faculty embarked on a marathon voyage by bus to New York City as part of a Teaching International and Honors Program trip to see the Islamic Art exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in mid-town Manhattan.

The exhibit included pieces of Islamic art from Africa, the Middle East, India, and elsewhere. The display, called "Byzantium and Islam: Age of Transition," will be at the New York City museum through July 8, 2012.

Afterwards, students spent the day exploring the sites of the city.

The faculty members who accompanied the students were Douglas Charles, assistant professor of history, and David Seitz, assistant professor of communications, both members of the Teaching International committee.

As part of the Teaching International initiative, Penn State Greater Allegheny has adopted each year a country or region of the world, and a theme, as a common focus to inspire teaching and scholarship.  The region for the 2011-2012 academic year is the Middle East and the theme is the Millenium Development Goals. Teaching International works closely with the campus sustainability project, Greener Allegheny, and the Honors Program to sponsor events that raise awareness of global issues.

Sara Payo, a first-year Penn State Greater Allegheny student in the Division of Undergraduate Studies, has been elected to serve as one of the two 2012-13 student senators representing University College at the University Faculty Senate. The announcement was made recently by Nancy L. Herron, associate dean for academic programs, Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses.

This summer the physics lab in Frable Building will be undergoing a major renovation and upgrade.

Beth Lindsey, assistant professor of physics, drew on research in physics education in designing the new look for what has been a traditional and increasingly outdated facility in Frable 223.

Lindsey's proposal upgrades the lab into a Student-Centered Active Learning Environment for Undergraduate Programs (SCALE-UP) style classroom (see www.ncsu.edu/PER/scaleup.html and scaleup.ncsu.edu).

SCALE-UP is research-based learning environment developed by the Physics Education Research Group at North Carolina State University and since then successfully implemented at scores of other universities, including Penn State Behrend.

The new design will allow instructors to reduce lecture content of the physics courses and instead format the courses to be more interactive, integrating lecture, laboratory, and problem solving components. A SCALE-UP environment has repeatedly been shown to lead to improvements in students’ conceptual understanding, problem solving skills, and attitudes about physics (Beichner et al., 2007).

Recently, Lindsey and her colleagues Hsu, Sadaghiani, Taylor, and Cummings published research in Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research (2012, vol. 8) in which they showed improvements in student attitudes about physics and problem solving when taught using curricula based on the principles of guided inquiry. Lindsey et al. (2012) describe this method as involving small groups of students doing experiments, developing models to try to explain the results, and then doing further experiments to test and refine their models.

Lindsey has also published research with colleagues Heron and Shaffer in the American Journal of Physics (2012, vol. 80, no. 2) demonstrating improvements in students’ conceptual understanding of specific physics topics associated with the use of tools that promote interactive engagement.

The redesigned physics lab will facilitate the use of such methods in the courses offered at Greater Allegheny, such as PHYS 211 and PHYS 212. The anticipated completion date for the lab is the start of Fall 2012.

Getting a look behind-the-scenes of a live television newscast is something TV watchers rarely get to see. The talent and hard work that goes into bringing a live 30 minute broadcast to life twice a day is more than it appears.  From the director, producer, and cameraperson, to the on-air talent and the technical crew in the control booth, this team makes it look seamless and perfect when the on-air talent begins to deliver the news each day.

For the students in the Advertising and Sales Promotion Management class that toured WTAE television station, behind-the-scenes meant more than watching what goes on in the control booth, it meant discovering the strategy behind the Neilsen Ratings, why particular commercials are placed at particular times, and producing quality commercials for broadcast.

“This field trip to WTAE television station provided an opportunity for the students in the Advertising and Sales Promotion Management class to learn about the strategy and research that goes into the timing and placement of commercials based upon a targeted demographic and market,” said Andrzej Kobylanski, assistant professor of marketing at Penn State Greater Allegheny. “It also demonstrated the importance of team work and good communication skills.”

The class (Advertising and Sales Promotion Management) is a projects based course, where students apply theoretical knowledge into practice. Some of the projects that the students are currently working on include designing a billboard for Penn State Greater Allegheny; working with the Environmental Club, under the supervision of Dr. Eric Lipsky, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, to design posters, fliers, and informational labels that will be posted on recycling bins on campus; and taking part in the worldwide competition, “Google Online Marketing Challenge 2012.”

In addition, four other students, who are members of the campus’ Marketing Club, are also competing in the 2012 Smeal Case Competition, sponsored by the Kohl’s Department Stores. The Smeal Case Competition is an undergraduate competition that challenges students' knowledge, problem solving abilities, and teamwork skills to solve realistic business problems in a demanding twenty-four hour format. As a team “Penn State Greater Allegheny,” students Ben Michaux, Steven Pro, Luiza Sarbu, and Michael Vay have been chosen as one of the 16 teams that would compete in this challenge on March 22-24 at University Park, chosen from 40 teams that submitted entries (160 students, 31 teams from UP and 9 from Commonwealth campuses).

“The Smeal Case Competition is an excellent way for students to test their business knowledge in a competitive and challenging environment,” said Kobylanski, who advised the campus team along with Michelle Hough, associate professor of business administration. “Hopefully, the time spent working with the other clubs on campus and the trip to the television station will remind the students of the challenge that it takes to remain competitive.”

Teaching International 2011-12 presents Dr. Audrey Maretzki as the next speaker in a series of events focusing on The Middle East and the Millenium Development Goals.

Dr. Maretzki is Professor Emeritus of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Food Services at Penn State University. Her discussion is entitled,Building on Indigenous Knowledge to Reduce Poverty and Increase Food Security.

This event and free and open to the public and will be held on Tuesday, March 20 at 12:15 p.m. in the Ostermayer Room in the Student Community Center.

McCarthy led the Greater Allegheny men in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game.  He also averaged 4.2 assist per game, and shot 39% from the field.  Byrd averaged in double-figures as well, at 10 points per game.  He shot 40% from the field, and also averaged 7.0 rebounds a night.

Rachel Halaszynski returned to Penn State Greater Allegheny for her senior season, and led the women in scoring at 13.8 points per game.  She shot 42% from the field, and collected 7.6 rebounds a game.  To highlight her season, Halaszynski collected her 1,000th career point.  Megan Brinkos was a strong, late addition to the women's team, averaging 12.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.  Christina Floyd was stellar on the glass all season, leading the conference in rebounding at 12.8 per game.  She also averaged 7.8 points per contest.

International Women's Day agenda:

• Dr. Douglas Charles, “International Women's Day in Historical Perspective”
• Dr. David Seitz, “Are You A Feminist?”
• Dr. Mildred Mickle, readings of: “Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why)” by Nikki Giovanni (1943-).  “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou (1928-).
• Reading by poet Angele Ellis
• Reading by poet Kelli Stevens Kane (www.kellistevenskane.com)
• Penn State Greater Allegheny Drama Club presents: “A Gender Bending Scene from Shakespeare ‘As You Like It’.” Actors: Courtney Handlovitch, Tim Tolbert and Briana Toth. Dr. Jay Breckenridge, Drama Club adviser.
• Dr. James Jaap, Amy Guthrie, and Dr. Verónica Montecinos, “Marie Antoinette, Queen and Icon of Feminist Struggles.”

The program will begin at 12:15 - 1:30 p.m. in the Crawford Building, room 102  

Douglas M. Charles, assistant professor of history at Penn State Greater Allegheny, will speak on the topic "The Real J. Edgar Hoover" from 6 to 8:45 p.m. on Thursday, Monday, March 12, in the Ostermayer Room in the Student Community Center on campus.

Charles will also be on the History Channel's alternate channel, called "H2," on Monday, March 5, as a commentator for their show "Ten Things You Don't Know About J. Edgar Hoover."

Charles is the author of J. Edgar Hoover and the Anti-interventionists, which describes how FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover catered to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s political interests in order to preserve his position and to expand FBI authority. In his effort to service administration political goals, Hoover employed illegal wiretaps and informers, collected derogatory information, conducted investigations, forwarded political intelligence to administration officials, and coordinated some activity with British intelligence. This all occurred within a crisis atmosphere created with the onset of the Second World War, and it was this political dynamic that permitted Hoover to successfully cultivate his relationship with President Roosevelt and expand FBI authority.

In his latest book, The FBI’s Obscene File, Douglas Charles reveals how, for more than 70 years, FBI officials placed obscenity, pornography, and the politics of morality among their utmost concerns. By illuminating this largely neglected aspect of FBI history, Charles charts the evolution of the bureau’s efforts to combat the spread of obscenity and its perceived insidious effects. He contends that, especially during the five decades under J. Edgar Hoover, these efforts became a surprisingly high priority and at times were expressly wielded for political ends, even as Hoover hid the file from public view in order to preserve the Bureau’s squeaky-clean image.

Charles’s appearance is a part of the Globalization and Sustainability Speaker Series sponsored by Penn State Greater Allegheny’s Teaching International, Greener Allegheny, and Honors Programs.

For more information about the J. Edgar Hoover event, contact academic affairs at 412-675-9052.

The event, which was held on February 16, 2012 from 12:15-1:15 p.m., was developed by Hussain and Dr. Mildred Mickle, associate professor of English and a member of the Teaching International program committee.

Hussain introduced participants to the Arabic alphabet. He began by writing the Arabic letters and numbers that were projected onto a screen for the audience. As he wrote the letters, he taught the audience how to pronounce the sounds. Then he asked the audience for specific words that he wrote on the screen. Participants felt free to ask Hussain questions about Arabic culture and holidays and requested he sing the Arabic version of "Happy Birthday." Hussain complied graciously and then gave participants time to practice writing words in Arabic.

As there was considerable interest in the workshop, the organizers will present a second session on April 24, 2012 from 12:15-1:30 p.m. in the Ostermayer Room, Student Community Center.

As part of the Teaching International initiative, Penn State Greater Allegheny has adopted each year a country or region of the world, and a theme, as a common focus to inspire teaching and scholarship.  The region for the 2011-2012 academic year is the Middle East and the theme is the Millenium Development Goals. Teaching International works closely with the campus sustainability project, Greener Allegheny, and the Honors Program to sponsor events that raise awareness of these global issues.

For more information, contact Nancy Conway (412-675-9143 or nle10@psu.edu).

SCHELL GAMES:  Meet the Video Game Writers

Writers from Schell Games will be on campus Wednesday, February 22 at noon in the Frable Bulidng, room 122 to share information about their career paths with an English degree and their jobs as video game writers.

Schell Games is a full-service game design and development studio specializing in creating innovative interactive experiences.

All interested students, faculty, staff, and alumni are welcome to attend this session. 

Pizza and beverages will be provided.  Though not required to attend, RSVPs would be appreciated:  psuga-careers@psu.edu

One of the profiled artists, Sherin Neshat, is the director of our first screening of the semester, Women Without Men.

There will also be a panel discussion after the screening with additional guests to explore issues raised by the film.

The screening is free and open to the public.

The program will be offered at the Regional Learning Alliance in Cranberry. The hybrid format combining monthly classes with online instruction makes this program a feasible option for anyone in the Greater Pittsburgh area.

Interested students can attend information sessions in Cranberry on Thursday February 16 or Monday February 27 at 6 p.m. Please see the Pittsburgh MBA page for more information and to register online for a session.

Contact Behrend's Graduate Admissions Office for more information at 814-898-6818 or email PSBehrendMBA@psu.edu.

Dr. Leigh-Ann Bedal, assistant professor in anthropology at Penn State Erie, the Behrend College, will present "Constructed Paradise: Conspicuous Consumption and the Petra Garden and Pool Complex" at 2 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6, in the Ostermayer Room of the Student Community Center.  Bedal received her degrees from California State University, University of California, Berkley (master's degree) and the University of Pennsylvania (doctoral degree), and specializes in Near Eastern archaeology, urbanization and garden archaeology.  She has excavated in Iraq, Syria, Israel, Italy and Jordan, and is the project director of the Petra Garden and Pool-Complex Excavation in Jordan.

Bedal’s appearance is a part of the Teaching the Middle East 2011-12 speaker series sponsored by Penn State Greater Allegheny’s Teaching International, Greener Allegheny, and honors programs.

A memorial service for Joe Paterno will be broadcast from the Bryce Jordan Center at University Park on Thursday, Jan.26 at 2:00 p.m. You can watch live coverage on the Big Ten Network, at BTN.com and BTN2Go.

You can also view the memorial service in the Cafe Metro dining room in the Student Community Center on the Greater Allegheny campus.

Students at Penn State Greater Allegheny held a candle light vigil to honor Joe Paterno last night in front of the Lion Shrine.

“Our students often do not realize all of the resources available to them, such as the Vault Online Career Library and My Plan, a career exploration product. These tools can help them through this exploration process,” said Bridgen. 

Founded in July, 2010, Three Rivers Theatre Company is a seasonal, self-producing, nonprofit theatre dedicated to engaging, entertaining, and fostering an appreciation in an audience of all ages for Shakespearean, classical, and contemporary live theatre, employing the finest theatre artists and students available to present first quality productions.

Other ways in which such information can be found include the following:

• Radio (KDKA-1020 AM); 
• Television (KDKA-TV Channel 2; WTAE-TV Channel 4; WPXI-TV Channel 11) or the Internet (http://www.kdka.com/, http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/, http://www.wpxi.com/); 
• The front page of the Penn State Greater Allegheny web site (http://ga.psu.edu/); 
• PSUTXT, which provides updates via text message and/or email. To receive PSUTXT messages for Greater Allegheny, go to http://newswires.psu.edu/ and follow the instructions to subscribe.

Cancellation of day classes does not automatically mean cancellation of evening classes or vice versa.

For information about individual class cancellations, you can also consult the cancellation list online.

Weather FAQ

Q. Why doesn’t the campus delay classes on the mornings local school districts announce delays?
A. Local school districts typically start classes for all students around 7:30 a.m. We have just a few classes at 8:00 during the winter semester. Also, K – 12 students must wait along the area roads in the bad weather to catch their buses. Area schools also have the ability to make up lost days. We are an institution of higher education, whose curriculum is supported by direct tuition; hence, cancelling classes eliminates the class time for which you have paid. We also have students living on campus who walk to class.

Q. If the campus is open, am I required to come to class?
A. It is your decision on whether or not you are comfortable driving on the roads to campus. If you do not make it to class, it is important for you to contact your professor as soon as possible to let him or her know why you were not in attendance. Ultimately, it is up to each professor to determine how he or she will handle these types of absences, but we believe they will be reasonable and understanding.

Q. Why isn’t the campus closed on some days when the news is reporting hazardous road conditions?
A. We view and listen to the weather and traffic reports, but we also depend on first hand reports of road conditions received through our campus maintenance and police persons to determine whether or not they are passable.

Q. If the start of classes is delayed, how do I know which class to attend?
A. We follow the existing schedule no matter what time we start. For instance, if the start of classes is delayed until 10:00 a.m., you would attend your scheduled 10:00 a.m. class at the regular time and follow your schedule through the rest of the day. Thus, on days when a delayed opening is appropriate, a two- or four-hour late opening will be announced through the normal emergency announcement procedures.
1. If there is a two-hour delay on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday schedule, classes will start with the class scheduled to begin at 10:00 A.M. We will keep the normal class times for the remainder of the day.
2. If there is a two-hour delay on a Tuesday or Thursday schedule, we will start at 10:00 A. M., one-third of the way through any classes that begin at 9:25. We will keep the normal class times for the remainder of the day.
3 . Similarly, if there is a four-hour delay, MWF classes would start at 12 noon and continue on a normal class schedule for the rest of the day.
4 . If there is a four-hour delay, a Tuesday, Thursday schedule would resume at common period (12 noon) with the next classes occurring at 1:35 pm.

Q. Are day and evening classes treated differently?
A. They are, with decisions made on day classes by 6:30 a.m. and for evening classes (starting times of 6:00 p.m. or later) by 4:00 p.m. It is possible to have any portion of the schedule cancelled.

Q. If my class if cancelled, will it be made up?
A. Some instructors may attempt to set a make up session when students are available, or use other means to make up the work. The form of make-up will depend on the nature of the class.

Q. What happens if there is problem during final exam week?
A. In the event that, during final exams week, weather causes the closing of the campus or the postponement of a scheduled final exam, make up exam procedures will be arranged by instructors in consultation with Academic Affairs. Stay in close contact with your instructors should weather problems develop during finals week..

Q. Why aren’t the sidewalks always clear?
A. If the snow is occurring during the day it is sometimes impossible to keep up with clearing the sidewalks. The maintenance crew will continue to make multiple passes to keep them as clear as possible. At times, the temperatures are low enough that salt* will not melt the snow and ice so it is important that everyone is careful when walking across the campus. As temperatures warm and/or the sun comes out, the salt is able to melt the snow and ice.
* “Uncured” concrete sidewalks, due to the nature of their recent pouring, cannot be salted. In these instances, sand is considered the best alternative, though it is not as good as salt in providing stable walking surfaces. All campus members are reminded to be very careful when walking about the campus during inclement weather situations.

Student-athletes who participated in cross country, golf, volleyball were eligible for the awards. Those being honored from Greater Allegheny include: Megan Carroll, Samantha Clark, Helena Vasser, Alyssa Finocchi, Corinne Wilson and Desiree McClain for volleyball; Peter Subosits, Brandon Jacobs, and Jared Reesman for cross country; and Michael Ericson for golf.

On Monday, January 16, nine students from Penn State Greater Allegheny will travel to Penn State New Kensington to join students at New Kensington, Fayette, Beaver, Dubois, and Shenango for the Martin Luther King, Jr., NOT A DAY OFF, BUT A DAY ON community service.  Students will arrive at New Kensington about 9:00 a.m. After a welcome and keynote address, they will disperse to Habitat for Humanity Restore, the Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society, Tri-City Life Center, Valley Community Services and other sites.  Students could be doing anything from cleaning, organizing, working with the elderly, and/or children. This is the fourth year that these campus’ have provided community service in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. day.  This year 62 students will participate.

The Accounting option provides "Preparation for positions in business with an emphasis on the areas of financial and managerial accounting, systems and controls, auditing, and taxation” (Undergraduate Degree Program Bulletin).

Joining Management/Marketing and Individualized Business as choices for students, the new Accounting option provides a third area of concentration possible in the business major.

For more information about the business major and the new option, contact the campus program coordinator, Dr. Andrzej Kobylanski, at 412-675-9455 or auk20@psu.edu.