Friday, December 18
10:00 a.m.
Commons/Athletic Center

Watch the program live by clicking here at the time of the event!

A die-hard Penn Stater with years of experience in radio, David Yadgaroff has much to share with Penn State Brandywine's graduating class as the keynote speaker at commencement on Friday, Dec. 18. The Philadelphia native currently serves as vice president and general sales manager at KYW Newsradio 1060.

After graduating from Penn State’s College of Communications in 1990, Yadgaroff returned to the Philadelphia area to pursue a career in broadcasting. He started in the programming department at WEGX-FM (Eagle 106), but soon chose to explore the sales side of the industry. 

He became an account executive for Top 40, WPST in Trenton, N.J. and in 1992 he parlayed that experience into a position in the KYW Newsradio sales department. Three and a half years later he was promoted to local sales manager, but be he kept moving up. In June 2001, Yadgaroff was recruited to head the sales department at WMGK 102.9, Greater Media’s Philadelphia Classic Rock station. In May of 2003, he returned to KYW Newsradio as director of sales where he continued his track record of exceptional revenue development.

Yadgaroff currently resides in Penn Valley, with his wife, Jamie, an attorney, and their two children, Allison and Daniel. Outside of his family life and enthusiasm for his professional career, He is extremely active in his community. Yadgaroff is involved with Penn State, where he met his wife, and serves on the College of Communications’ Alumni Society Board of Directors, which helps support and elevate the stature of the college through program reviews, development and providing media resources that prepare students for employment. 

Yadgaroff is a member of the board for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. Due to a family connection, Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is very close to his heart.

In the spring of 2005, Yadgaroff was named to the Philadelphia Business Journal’s “40 Under 40.”  He is a guest lecturer and mentor at area colleges, serves on the Philadelphia Advertising Club’s Board of Governors, is a United Way Co-Chair for Leadership Giving, a Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation Advisory Committee member and serves on the boards of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the Phi Sigma Delta Educational Foundation, the Police Athletic League, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters. 

Although a wintry blast of snow and sleet blanketed the region that morning, spirits were high among the 75 registrants who either ran the 5K cross country course, or opted for a more leisurely 1K walk.

The event, free and open to the community, also featured writer and avid runner Christopher McDougall, New York Times best-selling author of Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, who shared his experiences with the crowd before joining the group for the run.

McDougall’s quest for the "secret" of running took him to an isolated area of Mexico where the Tarahumara, an indigenous race of mega-runners, can run 50 miles or even further at a stretch. Effortlessly. And not only can they run long distances, McDougall, originally from Drexel Hill, said, but they also do not get injured.

"I had been plagued with every injury in the book," McDougall said, "Plantar fasciitis, bone spurs, shin splints, you name it. I tried different therapies and none worked. I was amazed to see these people, running in thin-soled sandals or barefoot, with none of the typical foot maladies that many of us experience. That was counter to everything I had been taught to believe about running."

McDougall re-learned how to run ("Run like a four year-old," he advised), forgoing running shoes and finding a way to land lightly on the balls of his feet instead of coming down harshly on his heels. Once this technique was mastered, his injuries faded away and have not returned.

True to form, he did not let the cold, wet and muddy ground on the Penn State Brandywine campus deter him. He cheerfully ran barefoot on the three-mile course.

Despite the chilly December 4th weather, best-selling author and runner, Christopher McDougall, runs barefoot over the finish line at Penn State Brandywine during the campus' 5K Fun Run/Walk.

By all accounts, the course was not as easy as one might think.

"It was very different from what I expected," Kimberly Hickey, of Drexel Hill, said. "It was much more of a workout running on a trail. I will definitely do it again."

Mary and Bryan Housel traveled from their home in northern New Jersey to participate in the run. "I heard about it third-hand, from a friend of a friend of a friend," Mary Housel said. "We had already read Chris’ book and were huge fans, plus we love to run cross-country. This was a great event."

Director of Student Affairs Matthew Shupp was pleased with the turnout. "Given the disappointing weather that day, I am thrilled that so many runners and walkers participated," he said. "There’s obviously an interest in the community in such events, and we hope to make this an annual tradition."

Added Director of Athletics Jim Gastner, "We were very happy to host the 5K Fun Run and 1 Mile Walk to celebrate the creation of our intercollegiate cross country team. Kevin Kelly, the new coach at Penn State Brandywine, was instrumental in making the event happen and beginning the development of a first class cross country course at Brandywine. The men’s and women’s teams bring the number of Brandywine teams competing in intercollegiate sports to eight."

To purchase photos from Commencement, click here and enter the following password: 121809

"My message to you is to set goals, learn to evolve, adapt to your surroundings, change as needed. But don’t stray from your original goal. Know what’s in your DNA," KYW Newsradio 1060 Vice President David Yadgaroff said during Penn State Brandywine's fall 2009 commencement ceremony Friday, Dec. 18.

Nearly 100 graduates accepted their diplomas and entered the country's largest alumni association in front of several hundred family members, friends and members of the campus community in the Commons Building Gymnasium. And in true Penn State Brandywine fashion, each and every graduate, some through tears, some causing roars of laughter, paused at the open mic as they walked off the stage and into a new stage of their lives.

From shoutouts to family, friends, and mentors, to a promise that "I'll move out soon, Dad!" to tears and to well wishes, the tone of the morning was nothing less than heartwarming and the room abuzz with nervous excitement.

One student, the very last to receive his diploma, couldn't have said it better. Through tears of joy and gratitude to his wife and child, Philadelphia resident Kyle Waters, now officially the owner of a degree in business, said, "I would like to thank my Penn State family. This is not just a normal college," as he gestured to his fellow graduates.

But no matter how excited or grateful or sad these new Penn State grads were feeling, they were sent off into the real world with sound advice from Yadgaroff. " Follow your heart. Work hard. Stay focused. Don’t worry when it seems too challenging. Keep pushing forward. Hard work will result in luck. Luck is where preparation meets opportunity. Be true to yourself. Be flexible. Success will come. Congratulations. You have a terrific ride ahead of you."

To purchase photos from Commencement, click here and enter the following password: 121809

Art 50: Introduction to Painting, a three-hour class held every Friday beginning on January 15, will offer students an introductory experience in the making of art through painting media. The course will be taught by instructor Jon Manteau.

Art 20: Introduction to Drawing, also a three-hour course offered on Saturdays beginning on January 16, will be taught by instructor Juliet Gundy. The course will offer an Introductory experience in the making of art through drawing media.

Both courses are designed for non-majors seeking a general overview.

For more information contact 610-892-1300.

The campus' new Beginning Chinese (Chinese 001) course, offered on Saturdays beginning on January 16, requires no prior knowledge of the language and aims at providing a rudimentary understanding of the Chinese pinyin system, the writing system, grammar, vocabulary and sentence structure.

Because this is a beginning language course, approximately 90 percent of class time will be spent on language acquisition and the remaining 10 percent on Chinese culture.

Chinese 001 is designed to bring students substantially closer to meeting the rating of "Novice-Advanced" in listening, speaking, writing and reading on a scale formulated by a professional language teaching organization. To achieve this goal, the campus will employ a multiple-skill approach and the immersion method in this multimedia-enhanced course.

After trying to learn Mandarin Chinese on his own, senior communications major Teron Meyers is excited for a chance to learn the language in a more structured environment.

"I have the software to learn Mandarin but it was hard to keep up with," he said. "The course will provide some discipline so that I actually have to complete the work." And it doesn't hurt that Meyers will receive credits toward his spring 2010 graduation. "It’s exciting because I won't get this opportunity anywhere else and also be able to get credits."

Approximately one quarter of the world’s population speaks Mandarin Chinese, known as Guoyu, Putonghua or Hanyu. It is the lingua franca of “Cultural China”—China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Chinese communities around the world.

That's exactly why Meyers wants to learn it. A resident of Upper Darby, he said he has watched the Asian population grow tremendously in the area and has quite a few friends who speak the language. "I have had a lot of experience with the Chinese culture," he said of having a number of friends with Chinese roots. "I hear them speak it and I want to be able to talk to them" in their language. 

"Plus I love languages," he said. Meyers dabbles in French and Italian, of which he learned bits and pieces in preparation for a trip to Italy with the campus Study Abroad Program in January 2008. But he admits, Mandarin Chinese is "going to be a bit more difficult than the Romance languages."

Chinese 001 fulfills the language requirements of all bachelor of arts, business, information science and some science programs. It also counts toward the Chinese minor requirements. (http://complit.la.psu.edu/chinese/courses-chns001.shtml )

THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, affectionately referred to as THON, is a yearlong effort to raise funds and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer. Since 1977, THON has raised more than $61 million for The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Children's Hospital.

Last year, Penn State Brandywine THON raised more than $12,000 for its fundraising year, which was part of the overall total of $7,490,133.87 for all Penn State THON organizations. A great deal of that money came from special events like the flea market, canister fundraising, known as "canning," and personal donations. "This year’s Penn State Brandywine THON committee hopes to raise $20,000, a goal that showcases the organization’s ambition," campus THON chair Teron Meyers, a senior from Upper Darby, said.

For more information about the THON flea market, please contact Lauren Henderson at 610-909-6315 or Tiffany Ragins-Morris at 610-990-5161.

"I was inspired to [join the registry] after hearing about Dr. Markley," 19-year-old freshman Will Schmidt, of West Chester, said. "Registering only took about 10 minutes and I figured that if I turn out to be a match, I will gladly take a day off work to save someone's life."

Patricia Hillen, a good friend of Markley's and one of the organizers of the event, was beyond grateful for all the support from the community during the drive. "It was so heartening to see our campus come together in such a big way at the donor drive," the instructor in English said. "People were very generous with both their time and their money. I was especially touched to see my own students there, smiling and swabbing their cheeks. Even one of our alums, Paul Rementer, now a sales rep with Wawa, stopped in to join the registry. He saw that we were in need of some coffee and made the phone call. Voila! There was coffee. It was a privilege to be a part of something so wonderful and in honor of my good friend, Arnold Markley."

The many myths surrounding bone marrow donation often cloud the importance of its purpose: to save a life. But one myth stands out in the crowd, and was a concern of many students: bone marrow donation is painful. Not true, say the folks at the National Marrow Donor Program. "Donors feel no needle injections and no pain during the marrow donation process," according to marrow.org. "Afterwards, most donors feel some pain in the lower back for a few days or longer."

Eighteen-year-old Joel Idicula, also a freshman, of Broomall, ignored the myth and joined the registry. "I was inspired to donate because of the fact that it is a simple procedure on my part that can save someone's life," he said. "I thought of the families of the people who could get [the marrow donation] and that was enough." But this young student's courage is worth more than he thinks. Idicula is Indian and the registry is significantly lacking donors from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Freshman Johnny Neel, of Landenberg, receives instruction on how to swab his cheek with a Q-tip as he joins the bone marrow donor registry during Penn State Brandywine's "Be The Match Registry" drive on Dec. 4, held in an effort to save lives by helping to build the national registry.

With more than seven million people in the donor registry, thousands of patients still are unable to find a match because more than 70 percent of potential donors are Caucasian, and race and ethnicity matter in terms of finding a perfect match for a patient in need. "Because the markers used in matching are inherited, patients are more likely to match someone from their own race or ethnicity," according to the site.

All it takes to join the registry is a saliva sample from adults, ages 18 through 60, who meet health guidelines and are willing to donate to any patient in need. Marrow is not extracted during the test, as other myths imply.

But fellow organizer and friend of Markley, Gail Wray, stressed the importance of the commitment that comes with becoming a donor. "Joining the registry is a commitment not to be taken lightly. If you are a match, you can save a patient's life. That patient is somebody's sister or child, uncle or parent, and is counting on your sacrifice."

As the writer of a daily personal finance advice column for Bankrate.com, Don Taylor is quite familiar with the ins and outs of the financial planning industry. Good thing too, because good advice during these difficult times is hard to find for many. But as assistant professor of business administration at Penn State Brandywine, Taylor's expertise lends itself quite nicely to future financial planners by way of his newly published third edition textbook.

Published by the American College Press, the textbook, Financial Planning: Process and Environment, edited by Taylor and Craig Lemoine, provides an overview of the financial planning process, including communication techniques, ethics, risk tolerance, time-value-of-money concepts, financial planning applications, regulatory issues and the legal and economic environment for financial planning.

"The primary audience for this textbook is students taking coursework in financial planning who will eventually sit for the Certified Financial Planner examination," he said. "The students will gain an understanding of the role and responsibilities of a financial planner, along with some analytical skills to aid in financial decision-making."

The textbook is different from a consumer-oriented text in personal finance because it’s used to educate financial planners who work directly with clients.

"The book covers the CFP Board of Standards, Inc.'s Topic List for General Principals of Financial Planning," Taylor said. "The list is dynamic, resulting from the CFP Board's biannual Job Analysis Study, so along with regulatory and industry changes, the book needs to educate students on the general principles of financial planning."

But the 11-chapter book wasn't exactly an easy edit. "The field is dynamic, so there’s always an issue with textbooks representing a snapshot of the rules and regulations at a point in time," he said in regards to keeping up with the always-changing financial landscape in America. "With this edition, the difficulty was in releasing the new edition before the government completed its planned reform of the financial services industry."

Past editions of this textbook, published in 2005 and 2007, were widely used by universities and colleges that teach financial planning.

By Monday, the campus had mobilized into action.

In an effort to make something positive out of a negative situation, Penn State Brandywine is holding a “Be The Match” drive to build up the national bone marrow registry and support those who, like Markley, need a bone marrow transplant.

The drive will take place 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4 in the Tomezsko Classroom Building Lounge.

Markley, professor of English, learned that the acute lymphoblastic leukemia (A.L.L.), first diagnosed in January 2008, and from which he made a recovery, had returned, as it typically does in 75 percent of the patients who have the disease.

He is currently undergoing an intensive round of chemotherapy to bring him back into remission, and will subsequently receive a bone marrow transplant.

“The outpouring of support from our campus for Arnold Markley has been truly amazing, not only from faculty and friends, but also from students,” said Assistant Director of Academic Affairs Patricia Hillen, both a colleague and dear friend of Markley and one of the organizers of the initiative. “Hours after an e-mail went out to a student list-serve asking for volunteers, we received so many responses from Arnold’s students. Besides joining the registry themselves, they want to help with registration, bake food for other volunteers and advertise in their own local communities. I can only imagine how far-reaching this day will be for so many.”

Emily Kane, a senior majoring in English, is one of Markley’s students who responded immediately. “Knowing the fight Dr. Markley is in, I want to help in any way I can,” she said. “This is a cause that is very close to our campus community and to a dear professor. I couldn't wait to help!”

The drive is open to the community. Individuals must be between the ages of 18 and 60, in good general health (no personal history of cancer, insulin-dependent diabetes or heart disease) and willing to join the registry to potentially save a life.

It’s a simple procedure. A saliva test is all that is required for the initial screening. Registrants will be asked to take four long Q-tips and rub the inside of their cheek. 
 
There is no cost to participate in the drive. However, donations are welcome since it costs the foundation about $90 in lab fees for each person processed.

According to the Be The Match Foundation, thousands of patients with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases hope to get the marrow or cord blood transplant that can save their lives. Seventy percent of these, or roughly 100,000 patients a year, will not find a matching donor in their family.

“I didn’t realize there were so many people who needed bone marrow transplants,” said Dana Gibson, a senior majoring in English and another student of Markley’s. “Dr. Markley has always been incredibly supportive of his students, and now it is our turn to show our support for him during his illness. We can do this by participating in the bone marrow drive.”

Added Kane, “We often take our good health for granted, and knowing how quickly it can be taken from us or from loved ones can be devastating. Knowing that there are strangers out there who are willing to go through a small procedure so that a patient with cancer might have the hope and strength to carry on must be so comforting for them. I want to do my part to help and hope that others will, too.”

Markley is deeply grateful for the support he has received and is very pleased that the campus has organized this drive in his honor.

“I think it’s wonderful, and I can’t tell you how moved I am that you have begun to organize this,” he wrote in an e-mail.  “It means the world to me and feels like the ultimate show of support from the whole community. I’m really touched.”

The quarter mile trail of quarters from the Tomezsko Classroom Building to the Vairo Library will be given to the Heritage Academy, located in Koomson's home village of Breman Esiam in the central region of Ghana, to enable students in the regions to attend secondary school and beyond.

In 2006, the Koomsons established the Schoerke Foundation, which offers scholarships to Heritage students and others in the district based on merit and financial need.

During the week of November 2, the campus was lucky enough to speak directly with Koomson during a visit to campus to discuss the Academy. The honors students also hosted an open mic session, where they discussed the quarters project and the importance of universal primary education, and they even decided to write letters to the students at the Heritage Academy.

Honors students, Joel Idicula, David Daley and Benjamin Bean (left to right) collect quarters for students in Ghana.

For more information on the Heritage Academy and Schoerke FoundatHion, visit http://schoerkefoundation.org.

Penn State Brandywine will host its third and final lecture as part of the business department's Leadership Lecture Series on Tuesday, November 17 at 6 p.m. in room 103 of the Tomezsko Classroom Building

The dynamic discussion of "Women in Leadership," will feature a panel of prominent businesswomen, including Joanne Finegan, CEO of ReMed; Barbara Bird, president, director of sales and training and broker of record for Baird and Bird, Inc. Realtors and Sara "Sally" Schukraft, vice president of finance for Campbell Soup. Clare Novak, president of Novak and Associates, will serve as panel moderator.

These panelists, with a wealth of experience and achievement in their fields, will discuss and share their career challenges and strategies, leadership development, their paths to success and life lessons learned.

Bird, of Swarthmore, has been a licensed real estate agent for the last 35 years and leads and manages a team of realtors while maintaining a multi-million dollar personal production in sales. 

In addition to her responsibilities as CEO, Joanne Finegan, of West Chester, is managing partner of ReMed Recovery Care Centers, a rehabilitation and long-term care provider for people with acquired brain injuries. She is a well-known presenter and publisher on key issues relating to brain injury, such as funding and resources.

Schukraft, of Media, serves as controller of the Canada “Away From Home” and Latin America divisions in addition to her role as vice president of finance at Cambell Soup. Her responsibilities include strategic planning, budgeting, financial planning and analysis and all control aspects within the division.  

Novak, of Exton, is an international consultant with more than 20 years experience developing passionate effective leaders. She is the author of Never Rule Without A Magician, A Sage and A Fool, as well as numerous articles. Novak has addressed international conferences as well as local business organizations.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Helene Bludman at 610-892-1254.

Are you known for your love of feta and olives or your supreme understanding of Zeus and his lightening bolts? Do you wear a beret and speak the language of love? I know, you probably have exquisite taste in sushi, own the coolest electronics, and wear the most stylish kimonos, too! I bet you eat sauerkraut for dinner and sport your lederhosen around the house. Or maybe you have a collection of the most stunning sari's and dream about the day that you will finally wear the symbolic henna markings on your hands? And perhaps you even know a thing or two about running for your life ... when there is a bull chasing you!

Where you're from, what you love, and how you celebrate is a huge part of who you are. Come share with us all the stories that make you you and discover the traditions of your classmates and friends during Multicultural Week.

• Monday, Nov. 16
  12:30 p.m.
  Come to the Lion’s Den to see a video on racial issues in our community along with a discussion to voice your opinion and thoughts.
• Tuesday, Nov. 17
  11:30 a.m.
  Come to the Lion’s Pit (cafeteria) to see a live belly dancer perform!
• Wednesday, Nov. 18
  12:30 p.m.
  Test your cultural knowledge with SGA’S Multicultural Game Show in the Lion’s Den!
• Thursday, Nov. 19
  11:30 a.m.
  Express your culture’s fashion on our runway in the Tomezsko Lounge while enjoying samples of delicious foods from all around the world!

For more information contact Raquel Squires at RSS5125@psu.edu.

For Laura Guertin, soil is more than just dirt, the Earth is not just for walking and teaching is a passion, not a paycheck. Her students, colleagues and friends have known that for years, so it's only fitting that the world now knows it, too. A Penn State Brandywine associate professor of Earth science, Guertin was honored for her outstanding teaching, service and community leadership as the recipient of the 2009 Donald and Carolyn Biggs Award for Excellence in Earth Science Education from the Geological Society of America.

The Biggs Award was created to recognize and reward innovative and effective teaching of earth science among early career faculty.

A mover and a shaker on campus, Guertin, of Media, is always on the lookout for fresh and interesting methods for teaching her students about the Earth and all aspects of science. She is known for her innovative teaching style, as she encourages and assigns her students projects integrating technological tools such as blogging, Google Earth, GPS, electronic picture sharing with Flickr and has sent countless students to the campus' Digital Commons, where they have access to state-of-the-art video equipment. She even shares her thoughts and science news from around the world in her "Tweets."

"I am deeply humbled to be selected as this year’s Biggs Earth Science Teaching Award recipient," Guertin said as she took the stage to accept the award in Portland, Ore. at the Society's annual meeting at the end of October. "It is overwhelming when I think about the significance of this honor. I feel as if the seal has just been broken on an envelope at the Academy Awards and my name has been announced as the winner."

If there were an Oscar for dedication and Guertin's students sat on the Academy of … Sciences, she'd be a shoe-in. Though this award automatically inducts her into the Geology Hall of Fame.

As a mentor, her support knows no boundaries. One student wanted to interview the dinosaur specialist at the Smithsonian Museum for a project. No sweat. Guertin went along for the ride. Another needed help sewing heart-shaped "Huggy Pillows" for cardiac patients at a local hospital. Guertin brought her sewing machine.

As the coordinator of the campus' honors programs and co-chair of an intercollegiate minor on civic and community engagement for the entire University, Guertin's influence is as far-reaching as her desire to teach and learn. She has mentored 28 undergraduate students at the campus on research and honors projects.

"I have a passion for mentoring undergraduate students in their first two years on inquiry-based projects and independent research," she said on her Web site.

During the meeting in Portland, Guertin led two seminars for participants: "Broadening the Definition of Geoscience Research to the Introductory Level" and "Adapting Google Lit Trips for the Geosciences."

Earth science instructors and faculty from all academic institutions engaged in undergraduate education who have been teaching full-time for 10 years or less are eligible for the Biggs Award. An award of $750 is made possible as a result of support from the Donald and Carolyn Biggs Fund, the GSA Geoscience Education Division, and GSA's Education and Outreach Programs.

Guertin is the chair of the Geosciences Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research and co-leads workshops on various aspects of undergraduate research. In April 2008, she was awarded a Congressional Citation by Delaware County U.S. Representative Joe Sestak for her civic and community engagement efforts. Guertin is currently working on an NSF-funded project, "Developing Undergraduate Research at Community Colleges: Tapping the Potential of All Students," and she is the recipient of several campus awards, including the Student Government Association Outstanding Service Award, the Student Government Association Most Involved on Campus Award, the college-wide Award for Teaching Excellence and George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Financial Aid, the Bookstore, and Advising and Career Services have teamed up to provide a series of events for seniors to prepare them for life after Penn State Brandywine. Between Nov. 10 and Nov. 18, students will have the opportunity to attend 3 workshops and the Graduation Fair. Students who attend any two common hour workshops will receive a certificate of completion and a small participation prize.

Sweats to Suits: Success in the Workplace
Tuesday, Nov. 10
205 Main Building
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Loan Repayment Strategies
Wednesday, Nov. 11
216 Main Building
12:30 a.m.-1:20 p.m.

Applying to Graduate Schools
Tuesday, Nov. 17
205 Main Building
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Graduation Fair
Wednesday, Nov. 18
Bookstore
1:00-6:00 p.m.

At the Graduation Fair, students will have the opportunity to purchase their cap and gown, class ring, announcements, thank you cards, and diploma frame. Light refreshments will be served.

Students should make the necessary arrangements in order to maintain their participation in classes at Penn State Brandywine and should make every effort to stay in communication with their instructors regarding class attendance. Although SEPTA operations are running on a limited schedule, Brandywine is still running “business as usual.”

Penn State Brandywine is encouraging the campus community to become fans of the Penn State Brandywine Facebook page. Once a fan, students, faculty, and staff can post status updates and coordinate ride schedules accordingly.

For more information on SEPTA, go to their Web site at http://www.septa.org/sip/index.html.

Ed Dorsey discovered his love for woodcarving during his Boy Scout days back in 1978 after watching carver and Penn State alum Dave Pergrin create a duck head in front of his very own eyes. With a few lessons from Pergrin and some self-teaching, Dorsey has mastered the art. And to honor his skill, Dorsey was named Woodcarver of the Year by the William Rush Woodcarving Club.

Dorsey's ducks, turtles, songbirds, chipmunks, bears and owls will be on display at the 26th Annual William Rush Woodcarving and Wildlife Art Show and Sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15 in the Penn State Brandywine Commons/Athletic Center Gymnasium.

But the show will feature more than just woodcarvings. Sister Rose Immaculate Waller, of Our Lady of Angels Convent in Aston, will reveal her creative instincts as she displays her stunning photography depicting wildlife, flowers and scenery.

The event will also include door prizes every hour, sales on books, tools and supplies and demonstrations from talented carvers. Admission to the event is a $4 donation, which will benefit the Delaware County Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association scholarship fund. Children under 12 are free with an adult.

Since perfecting the art of woodcarving, Dorsey, of Media, has spent much of his time sharing his talent with others. Two of his friends and pupils are a testament not only to his skill, but to his ability to teach—both friends won ribbons at a previous Woodcarving Show. "My most recent student is my nine-year-old granddaughter, Taylor. She selects her favorite patterns and traces them on the wood," Dorsey said. "After I cut them out on the band saw, she helps me with the sanding, wood burning and painting. She hasn't started carving yet, but it's only a matter of time!"

The William Rush Chapter of the National Woodcarvers Association takes its name from William Rush (1975-1833), a colonial Pennsylvanian who was apprenticed under his father in the shipbuilding trade. Rush’s interest turned to woodcarving, and his frigate figureheads established his fame. He worked from a shop in Philadelphia, carving not only ship figureheads, but also allegorical figures and life-sized busts.

For more information on the art show, please contact Jack Robinson at 302-475-2581.

In 2008, First Book provided 17,244 books to 2,168 kids in the greater Philadelphia area—that's eight books for each child to take home.

Speaking to the campus will be First Book Philadelphia Chair Ted Robb and Secretary Jennifer Pitt.

For more information on First Book, visit http://firstbook.org/firstbookphilly.

The program, which is part of the campus' annual Voices of Innovation Seminar Series, will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Commons Building, Large Conference Room (room 203). Lunch will be provided.

Penn State Brandywine's apple tree is the best-kept secret on campus according to one professor who joined the campus' Environment Club at its Fall Fest on Wednesday, Oct. 14, in celebration of autumn and the environment.

Students, faculty and staff picked apples from the tree, took home pumpkins to carve, shared recipes to warm the toes during the fast-approaching autumn and winter weather and learned some tips on how to save energy during the colder months. The Philosophy Club also joined the event to discuss environmental issues.

Check out the video featuring Environment Club President Averil Sweeney talking about the apples and catch a glimpse of the afternoon apple picking at http://live.psu.edu/youtube/5cysStMeeC8 online.

View more photos from the event.

“Creating a Company of Business People Through Open Book Management”

Thursday, October 29, 2009
6:00-8:30 p.m.

Penn State Brandywine
2nd Floor Large Conference Room
Commons Building
25 Yearsley Mill Road
Media, Pa. 19063

Frequently, small to mid-sized business ownership has been limited to relatively few people. In privately- held companies, it's usually limited to a single person and/or to a family. Business owners ask themselves, "How do I get my employees to care about my business as much as I do?" Employees ask themselves, "What's in it for me?" These are legitimate questions to ask. Given the increasingly greater impact of globalization, the information revolution, and "entrepreneuralization," companies must find new and better ways to answer these questions.

Moderator:
Eric Bergstrom, instructor and assistant director, Penn State Management Development

Eric Bergstrom has experience in organization development, human resource management and manufacturing/operations management. He has significant experience teaching and facilitating credit and noncredit business management courses as well as training and development, and organizational development courses. He has developed and delivered leadership programs and services customized to support organizational strategy. Bergstrom is a frequent presenter at conferences and workshops, where his topics include organizational transformation, employee empowerment, human resource development, strategic human resource management, human resource measurement and metrics, and leadership development.

Register Early, Seating is Limited! Fee: $10.00 at the door

Register online at: https://efgp.ticketleap.com/member/list_events

On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Penn State grad John Swayne III (not John Wayne!) will explore his family’s long history in the mushroom industry. It all began with his grandfather, John Swayne, Sr., who, according to the New York Times, “started the nation’s mushroom business” with the founding of J.B. Swayne and Sons, Inc. in Kennett Square in 1900.

Swayne will share how this family-run venture went from a small local business to a multi-million dollar corporation in the Tomezsko Classroom Building, room 103 at 6 p.m. The event is part of the campus business department's Leadership Lecture Series. For more information, contact Helene Bludman at 610-892-1254.

But while the U.S. tries to rally support for its stand against Iran's potentially dangerous nuclear growth, professor Stephen Cimbala looks at the prospects for international cooperation over nuclear weapons proliferation in the 21st century in his newly published book, "Nuclear Weapons and Cooperative Security in the 21st Century: The New Disorder."

A distinguished professor of political science at Penn State Brandywine, Cimbala looks at the three forces that "threaten to undo or weaken the long nuclear peace and fast-forward states into a new and more dangerous situation: the existence of large U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons arsenals; the potential for new technologies, including missile defenses and long-range, precision conventional weapons and a collapse or atrophy of the nuclear nonproliferation regime; and the opening of the door for nuclear weapons to spread among more than the currently acknowledged nuclear states," according to a description of the book, published in September by Routledge.

Penn State Brandywine Distinguished Professor Stephen Cimbala, a political science expert frequently quoted in the media on national security topics, speaks to the University's camera crew for President Graham Spanier's annual State of the Campus Address. As the world faces uncertainty in the face of possible nuclear growth in Iran, Cimbala's new book, published in September by Routledge, explores nuclear weapons proliferation in the 21st century.

"The 'trinity of terror' is nuclear arms control, disarmament and missile defenses," Cimbala said. "On all these issues, the U.S. and Russia must lead--by example, not merely by exhortation."

Cimbala serves on the editorial boards of various professional journals, has consulted for a number of U.S. government agencies and defense contractors and is frequently quoted in the media on national security topics. He is the author of numerous books and articles in the fields of international security studies, defense policy, nuclear weapons and arms control, intelligence and other fields. Cimbala received a B.A. in journalism in 1965 from Penn State and an M.A. in 1967 and a Ph.D. in 1969, both in political science, from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

It was Phyllis Cole's Women’s Studies 400 class that came up with the idea to raise the money by asking everyone on the campus to donate just $3.50 beginning last spring after learning from Magazzeni that a water system costs on average $7,000.

“We had an unusual chance to change the world,” senior Dana Gibson, of Morton, said thoughtfully about the project.

They presented Magazzeni with a check for the funds last May during the campus' annual Alumni Recognition dinner, where he was recognized as an outstanding alumnus. He put the money to work immediately.

Phyllis Cole (far left), of Lansdowne, and three students from her women's studies class, (from left) alumna Andrea McLaughlin, of Chester; senior Dana Gibson, of Morton; and senior Tiffany Lynch (far right), of Philadelphia, presented alumnus Aldo Magazzeni, of Perkiomenville, with a check for $6,000 to help bring clean water to thousands in Afghanistan.

Over the summer, Magazzeni installed three village water systems that will provide clean water for 2,000 families (or 15,000 people, two-thirds of them children). "These families in the outskirts of Herat actually had no unpolluted water source," said Cole, professor of English, women's studies and American studies at the campus.

"While building the systems, [Magazzeni] spoke in mosques and high schools and used the campus' campaign as his best example of the people-to-people work behind the money," she said.

Magazzeni also supplied new enhancements for a women's shelter created by Afghanistan's leading women's rights advocate Suraya Pakzad, who visited the campus last March. The women received a TV/DVD player, at their special request, a juicer-blender for the kitchen and water for two women's restaurants where even the most veiled wives can meet and talk with one another.

"We can help improve the lives of others through our continued efforts for their better health," Magazzeni said in a letter to the campus. "Most importantly, we also are building bridges for world peace, as different cultures learn to respect, honor and better understand one another."

For his return to the country this month, Magazzeni is planning a school-related water project that will have the Penn State Brandywine name on a plaque and will celebrate the educational tie. The project will supply clean water to a school in the Panjsher Valley of northeastern Afghanistan.

"This is a more dangerous and war-impacted territory," said Cole, of Lansdowne. "The school is being built by U.S. Army-affiliated community development staff, but the water system supplying it will be separate in both funding and construction. Kids will be kept healthy with pure water and educated at the same time."

Because of Magazzeni's efforts and the donation he received from the students, the campus received a signed certificate of thanks from Herat's director of Water Supply and Sanitation.

Senior Tiffany Lynch, of Philadelphia, summed up the experience. “It feels good that just a few coin cans, pocket change, and generous souls can give a whole village water.”

Magazzeni is founder and director of Traveling Mercies, “a non-profit foundation dedicated to helping others, while creating a vehicle to remove barriers between cultures so that individuals can share their strengths, assets and blessings with each other.” The foundation is based in Lumberton, N.J.

For more information on Traveling Mercies, visit http://www.travelingmercies.org/.

Click here for the nomination form. Complete the form by October 31, 2009 to nominate a faculty member for this award.

With each year becoming more difficult to raise money for meaningful causes, the members of Penn State Brandywine THON put serious thought into new, creative ways of fundraising. "Everyone has items in their house that they no longer want, need, or can even store," THON Chair Teron Meyers said. "We thought it would be a great idea to take those items off of the hands of community members and give them the opportunity to earn a profit."

Brandywine THON is eager for a large turnout at this year’s event. For those interested in selling their items at the flea market, they have the opportunity of purchasing one parking spot for $15, two for $20, three for $30, and an additional $5 for each spot after that. The criteria for items sold varies, such as unwanted household items, antiques, collectibles, artwork, personal creations, etc.

For many years, THON has sought to implement creative ideas into its fundraising tactics. This year is no different. With a new chairperson leading the organization and a new committee in place, there are many innovative plans in store.

Last year, Penn State Brandywine THON raised $12,313.20 for its fundraising year, which was part of the overall total of $7,490,133.87 for all Penn State THON organizations. A great deal of that money came from special events like the flea market, in addition to canister fundraising, known as "canning," and personal donations. "This year’s THON committee hopes to raise $20,000, a goal that showcases the organization’s ambition," Meyers, a senior from Upper Darby, said.

To purchase a spot at the flea market, please contact Lauren Henderson at 610-909-6315 or Tiffany Ragins-Morris at 610-990-5161.

Students can register through Angel to access the participant booklet and other materials. Alumni interested in attending must first set up a “friends of Penn State account” via https://fps.psu.edu/ and then call Advising and Career Services to be added to the Angel roster (610-892-1390). 

Before the big event, students should acquire professional attire, polish their resume, and plan ahead which employer tables to visit at the fair. 

Click here for registration instructions which entail enrolling in an Angel group to access fair preparation material. 

Employers interested in attending should call 610-892-1390 for more information.

View a list of participating employers.

Comparing the thousands of colleges and universities across the country can be a little overwhelming. To help with the search process, Penn State Brandywine will host the Pennsylvania Association of College Admissions Counselors’ (PACAC) Delaware County Regional College Fair for interested high school students to meet face-to-face with dozens of schools.

Approximately 130 colleges and universities from across the country will be on-hand to give information and answer questions in the Commons/Athletic Center during the PACAC fair on Thursday, October 1, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The fair, which is organized by the campus along with guidance counselors from area high schools, is free and open to all local high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. No pre-registration is necessary. For more information, call 610-892-1200.

Penn State Brandywine, located on Route 352, in Middletown Township, 1.5 miles north of the Granite Run Mall, offers baccalaureate degrees, honors and civic engagement programs, undergraduate research opportunities in collaboration with award-winning faculty, international study, varsity sports, and a variety of clubs and organizations.

View a list of participating colleges and universities.

Directions to the campus

Assistant Professor of English Kathleen Kennedy took a journey through the Middle Ages to explore how the relationship between lords and retainers in medieval England was depicted in literature by Chaucer, Gower, Langland, and Lydgate in her newly published book, Maintenance, Meed, and Marriage in Medieval English Literature.

According to publisher Palgrave Macmillan, "Kennedy uses close readings and medieval letter collections to provide a documentary look at how lords and men communicated information about their relationships and reveals surprising information about both medieval law and society."

Coming on the heels of this book, is the upcoming Cultural Piracy in the Middle Ages: Translating the Bible and the Common Law, which is currently under contract with Palgrave.

This past summer, as a result of receiving a prestigious National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant, Kennedy attended the "NEH Summer Seminar for College and University Teachers, The Reformation of the Book: 1450-1650 in England." She also delivered a short paper and organized a roundtable at the September meeting of the Delaware Valley Medieval Association, where she presented some of the findings of her research.

Register for the event

On Tuesday, Sept. 22, 6 p.m., you won’t be seeing double, although it might sound that way! David Lipson and David Lipson (no relation!) will share the stage as they discuss their personal leadership styles and the trajectory of their business successes. Lipson and Lipson will share their stories of business successes and mistakes, and what characteristics make good leaders, at the first in a series of lectures taking place at Penn State Brandywine this fall.

David Lipson, ’65 Lib, is one of Penn State Brandywine’s most generous benefactors. He is a member of Penn State’s Laurel Circle, Mount Nittany Society, President’s Club, and Nittany Lion Club. He is a lifetime member of the Penn State Alumni Association, and this year is being honored by the University as an Alumni Fellow.

His association with Penn State Brandywine began when he was employed by Digital Equipment Company and took on the campus as his client. It didn’t take long before he was asked to join the Advisory Board, on which he served for several years as a member and also chairperson. He currently serves as co-chair of the campus’ Capital Campaign Committee.

Lipson has enjoyed nearly four decades of success in the information technology arena. During his career, he has held sales, marketing, and executive management positions at IBM, Dun and Bradstreet Computer Services, Digital Equipment Corporation, and Sungard. He was founder, CEO, and chairman of Integrated Systems Consulting Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISCG), which merged with First Consulting Group, Inc. Currently, he is chairman of Moda Technology Partners and Vita Food Products.

He was the recipient of the Ernst & Young, LLP, 1996 Greater Philadelphia Entrepreneur of the Year Award and was named CEO of the Year in 1997 by the Eastern Technology Council. The firm he co-founded, Moda Technology Partners, won the Technology Council’s 2008 Start-Up of the Year Award. While he is grateful for this recognition of his business achievements, his proudest accomplishment took place at the first Penn State Fantasy Football Camp in 2006, when he became the oldest “player” ever to make a tackle in Beaver Stadium, at the age of 62.

David H. Lipson, Jr., ’78 Com, is president of Metro Corp., a publishing company whose signature titles include Philadelphia Magazine and Boston Magazine.

Lipson has been associated with the corporation in various capacities for more than 30 years. He began his career in advertising at Boston Magazine, and worked his way to Philadelphia after a stint in New York with Metro Magazines, the national sales organization that was also a part of Metro Corp., and Manhattan, Inc. magazine. He forged the move to a relationship marketing approach to advertising sales where innovative marketing programs are developed around advertisers’ needs. 

In addition to Philadelphia Magazine and Boston Magazine, Metro Corp. also publishes wedding and home magazines for both cities, as well as New England Travel and Wine and Spirits Quarterly. 

With a mission to both enhance the lives of readers who live in the communities that the publications serve and help advertiser and sponsor companies reach the luxury high-end market, Metro Corp. has launched such renowned programs as the Philadelphia Wine Festival, Philly Cooks!, Design Home, the annual Best of Philly Event, as well as initiating the involvement of the publications in numerous sponsorships across their readership regions.

Continuing a three-generation family legacy at the helm of Philadelphia Magazine and Metro Corp., Lipson has spearheaded the growth of both the latter and Boston Magazine in consistent newsstand and subscription sales, and as consistent national editorial award-winners.

Involved with numerous community organizations, Lipson is a member of the Corporate Leadership Council at the Philadelphia Zoo, Boy Scouts of America, and sits on the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. He is a lifetime member of the Penn State Alumni Association and was honored in 2008 as an Alumni Fellow.

The Leadership Speakers Series is presented by the Penn State Brandywine Business Department and is open to the public. The series will take place in the Tomezsko Building, Room 103. For further information, please contact Kathi Clayton, Advisory Board president, entrepreneur, and adjunct faculty member at kkc11@psu.edu.

The campus Green/Sustainability Committee is asking everyone on campus to GO GREEN in celebration of Global Climate Week.  The UN General Assembly is having a climate summit on Tuesday, September 22, and is urging the international community to show their support for a global agreement to combat climate change.  At Penn State Brandywine, we will wear green to be a part of the international community recognizing Global Climate Week http://www.sealthedeal2009.org/.  Show off your green on Tuesday!  Questions?  Please contact Dr. Guertin uxg3@psu.edu.

As many in the medical community have predicted, the H1N1 flu is spreading throughout our area and will continue to do so this fall. In order to keep you updated, we will be sending periodic announcements with updated information as necessary.

We should continue to be proactive about minimizing the potential for contracting the flu. Avoid sharing pens and pencils, phones, keyboards, etc. Have extra pens on hand that students or others can keep after using. If you are in a situation where you need students' ID numbers or credit card information, ask them to read the numbers to you instead of handling the cards. And in addition to washing hands frequently and thoroughly, remember to use hand sanitizer after touching common door handles, water coolers, etc.

But if you should come down with the flu, the recommended strategy is to simply stay home and get well (that goes for employees as well as students). It's our hope that everyone will heed this advice and help mitigate the spread of the flu.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE THE FLU

The flu is a serious respiratory infection that affects millions of people each year and spreads easily through the respiratory droplets of an infected person.  Symptoms of seasonal and the new H1N1 flu are similar and impossible to distinguish based on symptoms.  Although recovery may take several days, most people recover from the flu (including H1N1 flu) with rest and proper self-care strategies.

What are flu symptoms?

Fever (usually 100 degrees or greater) and cough and/or sore throat
Other symptoms may include:  body aches, chills, mild headache, runny nose and/or nasal congestion, and occasionally vomiting or diarrhea.

Seek medical attention if you experience any of these symptoms:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
Flu-like symptoms that improve, then return with fever and a more severe cough
Severe headache or neck stiffness
Difficulty swallowing fluids

What should I do if I’ve been diagnosed with the flu or have influenza-like symptoms?

People who are pregnant, have a chronic medical condition (such as asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, or heart disease), or are immuno-compromised, are at greater risk for developing severe illness from the flu. If you, or anyone you have been in close contact with while ill, have these conditions, contact a healthcare provider as soon as possible.

Go home to recuperate. You may return once you have recovered and are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.

Isolate yourself at home until 24 hours after fever has cleared without the use of fever-reducing medications. If you live with someone, you may need to wear a mask to prevent the spread of your illness.

Let someone know that you are sick.  Ask a friend to check on you daily while you’re not feeling well.

Cover all coughs and sneezes with a disposable tissue and discard immediately into a trash can.

Wash hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer—especially after coughing, sneezing, or wiping your nose.

Increase your fluid intake.

Have personal care items available such as hand sanitizer, tissues, over-the-counter medicines to treat flu symptoms, a thermometer, and fluids. It takes about a week to recover from the flu so make sure you have enough supplies available for this time period.

Treatment

Take over-the-counter medications as needed for relief of symptoms.

For additional information, please visit:
University Health Services
www.sa.psu.edu/uhs
Flu.psu.edu
Centers for Disease Control
www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm
www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/index.htm

Sophomore Matt Bachman, a civil engineering major at Penn State Brandywine, found he has a talent he never imagined: writing. How did he find out? Associate Professor of Linguistics and English Myra Goldschmidt sent Bachman an e-mail announcing he was published in University Park's annual journal, Best of Freshman Writing, Volume 14.
"I was surprised but really happy when I got the e-mail," Bachman, of Newark, Del., said of his essay titled, "The United States' Failure to Sign the Rights of the Child" making the cut. "I always liked writing and I hear a lot of engineers struggle with it so we'll see how that works out for me."

On choosing such an important and serious topic, Bachman, an honors student, said he had never heard of the United Nations' treaty his essay was based on until he was asked to research it for a one-credit library studies course required for all honors students. When asked to write an essay for Goldschmidt's English course, Bachman decided to revisit the topic, not realizing so many people would find his thoughts so compelling.

"Matt Bachman is one of the strongest writers I have ever taught," Goldschmidt said. "I submitted his essay because of his sophisticated insight into an important global issue -- the rights of the child -- and because of his strong presentation of both sides of this issue. Through his writing, Matt serves as a role model to other students, raising awareness about the Rights of the Child [Treaty] and showing that one person can make a difference."
 
Each year, English professors from Penn State's 19 campuses are on the lookout for exceptional essays from their freshman English classes they deem worthy of publication. At the end of the academic year the best of the best are submitted to the journal's editorial board, which decides which essays will make it to publication. The journal is often used as a classroom textbook in many English classes at Penn State; the essays serve as writing models for students in the freshman courses.

When it comes to outreach and service learning, Penn State Brandywine is proud to be a campus that values and supports those initiatives. And now, with the arrival of Amanda Moser, the campus will have a full-time staff person dedicated to coordinating and strengthening existing programs, as well as launching new ones.

Moser, a 2009 graduate of Susquehanna University, is the campus’ first-ever AmeriCorps Pennsylvania Campus Compact (PACC) VISTA, and will be working full-time on our campus for a full calendar year.

The PACC*VISTA program “seeks to develop and support community service, service-learning, and civic engagement programs at higher education institutions by placing AmeriCorps VISTA members at colleges and universities across Pennsylvania,” according to its Web site.

PACC*VISTA members create connections between the campus and community through projects involving tutoring, mentoring, and strengthening volunteerism. Among their duties are volunteer recruitment, training, and consulting with campus and community stakeholders to identify and address critical community needs. Currently, there are 25 PACC*VISTA members placed at campuses across Pennsylvania.

Moser, who began working with the campus Aug. 15, will help organize campus efforts to alleviate poverty through programs designed to educate and improve literacy. The goal is to build lasting relationships between the campus and several low-income communities— Upper Darby, Chester, and Overbrook—through a variety of literacy initiatives.

Prior to her arrival on campus, Moser spent a week in Philadelphia over the summer in training with other PACC*VISTAs. There will be additional training workshops throughout the year.

Although she's new to our campus, Moser is not new to community engagement. When she was in seventh grade, she joined the service club at Garnet Valley Middle School(her school), participating in a recycling program, volunteering at the Special Olympics, and working with visually impaired adults at the Overbrook School for the Blind.

Moser continued volunteering throughout high school, and while in college, was the Scholar in Service to Pennsylvania with the Center for Civic Engagement at Susquehanna. This position involved working with WomenSpeak, the Disaster Response Team, and Susquehanna Valley Women in Transition. “Susquehanna gave me many opportunities to participate in community service,” she said. “As a VISTA with Penn State Brandywine, I will be able to use the skills I have acquired to work with the campus and community members to implement sustainable literacy programs.”

During her year with the campus, Moser hopes to engage as many people as possible, across the campus and across the curriculum. “I’d like to take community service to another level and find ways to keep it viable and sustainable,” she said.

Moser is still getting acclimated to the campus and her new position, but so far everything has been going smoothly. “Everyone has been very welcoming,” she said. “I am encouraged to find that so many people share my enthusiasm. It’s great that so many faculty are interested in finding ways to incorporate these initiatives into their curricula.”

Because of a printer design flaw, Penn State photo id cards printed at Penn State Brandywine between June 24 and July 31, 2009 are faulty. They cannot be read in many card printers. This flaw will prohibit students from borrowing library books, as well as admission to certain venues at University Park and other campuses.  If you received your card between June 24 and July 31 of this year, please stop by the library as soon as possible to get your replacement card. Save yourself a hassle, stop by the library today!

Eligible Penn State students will receive Pennsylvania state grant money, despite a notice from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) that grant money would not be available to all Pennsylvania schools in time for fall semester disbursements because of the state budget impasse.

PHEAA had sent notifications to students informing them of this and posted messaging on their Student Portal Account Access page as follows:

“PHEAA is unable to finalize and disburse State Grants for the 2009-10 academic year until the state budget has been finalized. Once the final budget is approved, you will be notified via e-mail and your final state grant award will be displayed in Account Access."

However, Penn State WILL disburse the PHEAA State Grant to eligible students so that they will not be impacted by this situation. Penn State's PHEAA Grant budget will operate "in the red" until PHEAA does release the grant money to schools.

For more information contact Marianne Hellerman at 610-892-1261.

After pursuing a career in athletic training, Fletcher decided he wanted to be a physician assistant, but needed the prerequisites required for medical school. Thanks to his successful completion of Penn State Brandywine’s Accelerated Undergraduate Postbaccalaureate Medical Sciences Certificate (Postbacc) program, Fletcher is on his way there. He will begin the Hahnemann physician assistant master’s program within Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions this fall.

(Brian Fletcher, of Coatesville, experiments in the lab at Penn State Brandywine where he earned the credits he needed to enroll in medical school through the campus’ one-year Accelerated Postbaccalaureate Medical Sciences Certificate program.)

The Postbacc program is a fast-track, one-year program specifically designed to help college graduates prepare for admission to allied health, dentistry, optometry, or other medically-related schools.

Information sessions about the program are held periodically on campus offering an overview of the program and a chance to meet some of the Penn State faculty who teach the courses and interact with other potential participants in the program. The next session is scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, from 7 to 8 p.m.  in the campus’ Commons/Athletic Center.

"If you want to get to where you want to go, this program will take you there," Fletcher said. "This program helped me get into physician assistant school and that was my goal."

For more information about the Postbaccalaureate program, registration, or the application process, contact Sue Currie at 610-892-1310 or SEC7@PSU.EDU or Linda Flick at LCF6@psu.edu.

We offer more than 40 evening and Saturday courses this fall. Check out a list of available courses below, or contact the Registrar’s Office at 610-892-1400 for more information. For more detailed course descriptions, please visit http://soc.our.psu.edu.

The curriculum, taught by award-winning Penn State faculty, includes lessons on technical writing, creating proposals, reports, and presentations common in business, government, and industry. It will also focus on Web-based writing, including the analysis and composition of informative, persuasive, and creative Web texts.

The certificate program, which is offered on nights and weekends in addition to the traditional day-time classes that begin with the fall semester on August 24, is designed to benefit both individual learners who want a step up in their professional life, as well as organizations looking to better their employees. For individuals, the program will help improve written communication skills for greater “marketability” in the workforce and on résumés, and help build expertise for those who intend to write or publish as part of their professional credentials or marketing efforts. The program will also act as a door-opener to careers in the writing professions.

As for the benefits this program will bring to an entire organization, it is intended to improve internal organizational efficiency and support the vision and mission of the organization through advanced communication skills, both of which are known to support employee retention.

Required courses include Rhetoric and Composition, Effective Writing: Business Writing, Writing for the Web, Effective Writing: Technical Writing, Advanced Business Writing, and Business or Technical Writing Practicum.

For more information on the Business and Professional Writing Certificate, please contact Alan Zawacki at raz1@psu.edu or 610-892-1306.

The campus’ annual Grill and Chill, held annually for prospective and current students and their families, will include a barbeque, a chance to “build-a-lion,” live music from the innovative Indie rock duo Sirsy, information on Penn State, campus life, and financial aid to name a few, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on the campus lawn. An outdoor screening of the wildly popular movie “Paul Blart Mall Cop” begins at dusk. Grill and Chill is free and sponsored by the Student Affairs Office. 

International Charm showcases an exceptional collection of unique jewelry inspired by Jones’ Schreyer Honors thesis studies and recent travels to Spain, Morocco, and Portugal. Also featured are the latest Studio47West collections influenced by the European Renaissance and Ancient Mesopotamia and Mesoamerican cultures. For additional information, visit the official Studio47West Web site at www.studio47west.com. 

A senior business major, Jones was the first recipient of the inaugural Undergraduate Student Research Award and Scholarship last spring. She was honored for “completing serious, high-quality research requiring critical thinking, analysis, and creativity.”

Currently a payroll employee at Catholic Social Services in her hometown of Philadelphia, Morales-Flores said she would like to eventually find a job related to her degree but is participating in the walk in part to fulfill her innate desire to help people.

But there is a far more personal reason for Morales-Flores’ participation in the walk; one that hits too close to home for her and her two teammates—Lily Ann Serrano (pictured far left) and Aimee Leon (pictured far right). Team leader Leon encouraged the women to walk after losing a young friend, Melody Chaden, to breast cancer on May 28 at the age of 32 after an eight-year battle with the illness. After hearing about Melody’s death and learning about the walk, decided, “I want to be part of that, too.”

“It makes me feel good as a woman to be doing this walk since 99 percent of the people who get breast cancer are women, and it’s the leading cause of cancer death among Latina women,” she said. As a woman of Puerto Rican descent, she felt it was increasingly important to do her part. “I am doing something positive for myself and for women.”

Morales-Flores has already raised $1,738 toward the team’s goal of $14,000 through donations and fundraising events. The team, named “The Pink Bees,” has raised more than $9,000 toward that goal already, including $1,000 raised at a spaghetti dinner they hosted in April. And their hard work doesn’t stop there. The three women are in week 16 of 24 weeks of training, which includes walking four miles per day. “It’s good for the heart and the environment,” she said. “And I’ve lost 13 pounds already!”

According to the Philadelphia Breast Cancer 3-Day’s official Web site, all walkers will spend the night “at camp,” where they will be given hot meals, shower facilities, two-person tents to sleep in, and entertainment to help them wind down.

For more information about the walk, visit http://www.the3day.org/site/PageServer?pagename=homepage or to help Morales-Flores and her teammates reach their goal, visit www.the3day.org/goto/demaris.

Born with talent made for the big leagues, Tom Calvecchio has much to share as the new head coach of the Penn State >Brandywine varsity baseball team. "Coach Cal," as he became known to the players in his role as assistant coach last season, joined the Penn State Brandywine baseball staff several years after playing one semester at the campus in fall 2001.

Coach Calvecchio moved on to the baseball team at Lock Haven University, where he was an Academic All-American and a three-time PSAC West Scholar Athlete. The 6’ 6” “southpaw” was invited to try out for both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves. But instead of a life traveling with the pros, Coach Calvecchio is changing lives in his own community as a special education teacher at Avon Grove High School, as manager of the Concord Canes in the Main Line Senior American Legion League, and through actively volunteering in youth baseball. Needless to say, Coach Calvecchio brings a wealth of pitching and general baseball expertise to the Brandywine Lions.

“I look forward to building lasting relationships with my players while teaching them life lessons in addition to the great game of baseball,” he said. “My vision is to work with the athletic department at Brandywine to move our baseball program forward and to compete for a PSUAC title.”

Coach Calvecchio, of Boothwyn, graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in special education and a minor in English from Lock Haven in 2005. He went on to receive a master’s degree in education, with certification in principal k-12, special education supervision, and curriculum and instruction, from St. Joseph’s University in 2009.

Coach Calvecchio enters the new season as head coach, effective August 1.

Mary Boyd, dean of arts and sciences, University of San Diego, and co-editor of the new book said, “Broadening participation in undergraduate research is about maximizing potential--the potential of students, research, and institutions--and expanding our understanding of the world. By fostering excellence, high-quality programs across the country are enhancing the lives of students, the direction of their scholarship, and its impact on their disciplines and institutions.”

Visit the links below to check out our new Facebook page (you don’t have to have an account to see us) and Twitter profile. Get updates on campus news and events right on the Web. And don’t forget to sign up for our monthly electronic newsletter, Lion Bytes.

Junior Jonathan Hartline, information sciences and technology, of Parkside; sophomore John Formento, business, of Oaks; and junior Christopher Collins, American studies, of Philadelphia, join five other students on the Brandywine campus who are also part of this prestigious University-wide group.

The Schreyer Honors Program offers a comprehensive set of courses for students of exceptional ability in all majors. Each year, the Schreyer Honors College offers more than 220 honors courses, most often comprised of 25 students or fewer and taught by selected members of the faculty. Scholars can satisfy honors credit requirements through independent research, upper-level or graduate courses, and “honors options” for regular courses. Admission to the Schreyer Honors College is through application only.

Students have the opportunity to participate in the Schreyer Honors College during their first two years at the Brandywine campus before transferring to the University Park campus to complete a degree, if necessary. Students may also remain at the Brandywine campus and finish one of the campus majors as a Schreyer Scholar. The honors courses at the campus are smaller in size and open only to students in the Schreyer or Jane E. Cooper programs.

In addition to the three current Brandywine students admitted to the program, three students who will attend University Park this fall after two years at the Brandywine campus were also accepted: Jackie Glace, education, of Springfield; Dan Sprik, actuarial science, of Media; and Paola Pedraza-Rivera, liberal arts, of Media. 

You will recognize this phrase from the beginning of the preamble to the Constitution of the United States:

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Everyone is asked to take a photo that reflects what the theme We The People means to them. Who are "the people"? Are "the people" the same as the people from the time the Constitution was written? Who are the people of America?

Submit your photo in flickr for a cross-campus collaborative project for CONSTITUTION DAY.

Photos may be taken anytime between January 1 and September 17, 2009.

Upload deadline: September 17, 2009

Click here for more information and instructions on how to upload your photos.

Junior Ted Seiler, a graduate of Marple Newtown High School, was recognized as an Academic All-Conference player and received All-Conference Honors for baseball. Seiler, of Broomall, was one of the campus’ three captains who led the baseball team to the conference finals for the fourth time in five years.

(Penn State Brandywine Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska presents the All-Conference Team Award to junior baseball player Ted Seiler, of Broomall.)

Sophomore Corey Hepfer, a graduate of Springfield High School, was recognized as an Academic All-Conference player and received Honorable Mention All-Conference Honors for baseball. Hepfer, of Springfield, was one of the team’s top pitchers and helped Seiler and the rest of his team advance to the conference finals.

(Penn State Brandywine Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska presents the Honorable Mention All-Conference Honors Award for baseball to sophomore Corey Hepfer, of Springfield.)

Senior Deana Gineitis, a graduate of Unionville High School, was recognized for her exceptional basketball career as a Lady Lion. Gineitis, of Chadds Ford, was a four-year starter, All-Conference player, team co-captain, and finished her career with 1,043 points. She joined a select group of Penn State Brandywine basketball players who have achieved the 1,000-point milestone.

(Penn State Brandywine women’s basketball head coach Larry Johnson presents the 1,000-point trophy to Senior Deana Gineitis, of Chadds Ford.)

Junior Gina Impagliazzo, a graduate of Neumann-Goretti High School, received the James King Outstanding Athlete Memorial Award, the highest athletic honor given by Penn State Brandywine. The award is annually presented to a student athlete who has demonstrated educational excellence, athletic prowess, and leadership on and off the field. Impagliazzo, of Philadelphia, also received Academic All-Conference Honors and was All-Conference Honorable Mention in women’s volleyball.

(Campus alumna Megan Russo, of Lansdowne, the 2008 James King Outstanding Athlete Memorial Award recipient, presents the same honor to this year’s winner, junior Gina Impagliazzo, of Philadelphia.)

Penn State Brandywine has a 41-year tradition of intercollegiate athletics. Baseball, soccer, women’s volleyball, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, tennis, and ice hockey teams compete against local colleges and members of the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC). Brandywine teams routinely travel to University Park to participate in conference playoffs.

Arnold Markley is promoted to the rank of Professor of English in the University College.

Kimberly Blockett is promoted to Associate Professor of English and awarded tenure in the University College.

David Macauley is promoted to Associate Professor of Philosophy and Environmental Studies and awarded tenure in the University College.

Patricia Hillen is promoted to Senior Instructor of English in the University College.

Please join us in congratulating each of these exceptional professors for their consistent devotion to teaching, research, and service.

Dr. Laura Guertin is known to many on the Penn State Brandywine campus for her dedication to community service and the enrichment of the campus and its students. As the campus’ associate professor of earth sciences and coordinator for the Jane E. Cooper Honors Program, the Campus Schreyer Honors College and the Environmental Inquiry Minor, it is only fitting that Guertin should be recognized nationally for her unparalleled dedication to her field as the Geological Society of America’s 2009 recipient of the Donald and Carolyn Biggs Earth Science Teaching Award. 

The award was created to recognize and reward the efforts and accomplishments of exceptional college teachers early in their academic careers. The Biggs Award, which recognizes innovative and effective teaching of earth science among early career faculty, is the Geoscience Education Division’s Named Award. Earth science instructors and faculty from all academic institutions engaged in undergraduate education, who have been teaching full-time for 10 years or less are eligible.

An award of $750 is made possible as a result of support from the Donald and Carolyn Biggs Fund, the GSA Geoscience Education Division, and GSA's Education and Outreach Programs.
Guertin will receive the award at the Geological Society of America’s annual meeting in Portland, Ore., October 17 through 21. She is the first person from the entire Penn State system to earn this national recognition.

While many girls are continuing math and science coursework throughout high school and winning awards, few choose math or science majors in college. At the Career Day, women who are role models in engineering, research science, or veterinary medicine, among others, provide workshops, problem-solving sessions, and panel discussions to help girls understand how math and science are used in their professions and realize their own potential and career options.

For more information, contact Linda Flick at lcf6@psu.edu or 610-892-1415 or Pat VanLeuvan at pav2@psu.edu or 610-892-1462.

On Friday, June 12, the Penn State Brandywine Faculty and Staff Capital Campaign Committee will hold A Night with the Pride at the Ballrooms at Boothwyn. This “beef and beverage” gathering begins at 7:00 p.m., and those attending will have the opportunity to purchase chances on dozens of special gift baskets and special chances on a football autographed by Coach Paterno. Tickets are just $25 each (tables of 10 for $225).  Those not able to attend can still purchase chances on the Paterno football for only $5 each. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Tiz Griffith Athletic Development Fund, which supplements the budgets of Penn State Brandywine campus sports teams.

For more information on the event contact Bob Wetzel at 610-892-1253 or RJW29@psu.edu.

The Penn State Brandywine gymnasium echoed with the roar of “WE ARE … PENN STATE!” as 93 graduates belted their pride as the newest members of one of the largest alumni networks in the country on May 16.

Among them was 72-year-old Lillian Vecchio, who graduated with a degree in American Studies. A former Radio City Music Hall Rockette, Vecchio fulfilled a life-long dream as she received her diploma.

The graduates represented varying age groups and backgrounds, but that day, each new Penn State alum walked with one thing in mind: the future. And this year’s commencement speaker, Joanne Finegan, took pleasure in sending them off to begin that future with pride and hope. During an inspiring speech, Finegan, a Penn State alumnus and member of the campus Advisory Board, shared her experiences as a rehabilitation and long-term care provider for people with acquired brain injury at ReMed Recovery Care Center to illustrate how the new graduates, like some of her patients, overcame adversity to sit proudly in their Penn State blue caps and gowns.

To view the program, click here.

View the web gallery.

To order photos from the photographer, click here and enter 051609 in the password field.

Saturday, May 16
10:00 a.m.
Gymnasium in the Commons/Athletic Center

From recreation and parks to patients with brain injuries, Penn State Brandywine’s Spring 2009 Commencement speaker Joanne Finegan has had nothing but success since graduating from the University in 1983.

Earning her degree from Penn State was an early stepping stone for Finegan, a recreation and parks major in the School of Health and Human Development. As CEO and managing partner at ReMed Recovery Care Center in Paoli, Finegan serves as a rehabilitation and long-term care provider for people with acquired brain injury, utilizing her skills as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, her master's degree in administration (West Chester University, 1990), and her years of experience specializing in brain injury treatment.

She has worked continually on educating others on the impact and life-long effects of brain injury and utilizes ReMed’s “real life rehabilitation” model as her foundation. She leads ReMed by applying practical management, communication, and leadership skills in today’s fast-paced healthcare environment.

Finegan is a well-known presenter and publisher on key issues related to brain injury, such as funding and resources, long-term support, adjustment, socialization, sexuality, recreation, and leisure. She has served on the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) as a board member, trustee, and Chairman of the Board in 2004. She has also served as the Chairman of the Board of the National Council on Therapeutic Recreation Certification and has been honored by the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRS) as a Distinguished Fellow, the organization’s highest distinction, in 2005.

Currently, Finegan is an Advisory Board member at Penn State Brandywine and also serves as Rehabilitation Editor for www.TraumaticBrainInjury.com, which is dedicated to providing information and resources to survivors, families, and professionals. During 2007, she was presented the Alumni Recognition Award by the Penn State University’s Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management Department and has recently accepted the Chairmanship of a newly formed nonprofit, the Council on Brain Injury (CoBI).

To watch the program live from your computer, click here on the morning of the event.

Surrounded by international music provided by the Philly Horn Band and the campus’ own ethnomusicologist, Paul Greene, associate professor of integrative arts, the campus auctioned everything from a trip to Jamaica to Penn State football tickets to beautifully painted art. Guests dined on internationally-themed hors d’oeuvres, dinner, and dessert, coupled with wine and beer from around the world.

As host to five study abroad trips each year, which have sent more than 1,500 students and community members around the world throughout the last 15 years, and home to one of the most diverse student bodies in the Penn State University system, Penn State Brandywine had a lot to celebrate, including four distinguished alumni who were honored that night for their extraordinary achievements in business, education, politics, and community activism.

During its annual fundraiser to benefit student scholarships, Penn State Brandywine celebrated its international campus and study abroad progras while honoring its distinguished alumni for their outstanding achievements on May 2 on campus. Pictured with campus Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska(center), the honorees, (from left) Jerry Parsons, of West Chester, Tish Szymurski, of West Chester, Blondell Reynolds Brown, of Philadelphia, and Aldo Magazzeni, of Perkiomenville, were recognized for their dedication to business, education, politics, and community activism, respectively.

Philadelphia Councilwoman At-Large Blondell Reynolds Brown, a resident of Philadelphia’s Wynnefield section, was honored for her dedication to enriching the lives of Philadelphia residents as an educator, community activist, and political leader.  A 1974 graduate of Penn State, Reynolds Brown is known for her efforts to improve the quality of life for city residents through arts, small business, and youth orientation initiatives.

“Women Making a Difference Celebration,” Brown’s adopted signature program held annually in March, showcases women’s accomplishments and has grown to provide a platform for supporting issues and organizations that impact women, children, and families. Her involvement in the community is reflected not just in the many initiatives she has sponsored, but also in the many hours outside of work she devotes to a variety of organizations, such as the Philadelphia Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, among many others.

A 1972 University graduate, Aldo Magazzeni, of Perkiomenville, was a shoe-in for the community activism award because of his selfless commitment to helping those in need around the globe. He is founder and director of Traveling Mercies, “a non-profit foundation dedicated to helping others, while creating a vehicle to remove barriers between cultures so that individuals can share their strengths, assets, and blessings with each other.” His foundation is a vehicle to raise awareness and money to help people in countries like Afghanistan, Italy, Jamaica, Haiti, and right here in the United States, to name a few.

Magazzeni brings shelter and hope to poverty-stricken villages around the world, builds day care centers for the children of women in prison in Afghanistan, and has installed thousands of meters of water pipe for people who lack access to clean water. He takes photographs to capture the lives of those he meets on his journeys and to spread the word about their fight for a better life. And his word has traveled far. During the event, Magazzeni was presented with a check for $5,000, raised solely by students on campus who were so inspired by his message that they decided to raise money to sponsor an entire water system for his next project, wherever that may be. They were only $2,000 short of what it typically costs to build and aren’t giving up until they’ve raised it all.

Dr. Tish Szymurski, who is still tied to the campus through her husband, Assistant Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences Thomas Yannuzzi, was honored for her more than 20 years of experience in higher education. As dean of Continuing Adult and Professional Studies at Neumann College, she emphasizes service and effective relationships, and has initiated many collaborations and joint ventures to assist adult learners.

Szymurski’s career in higher education has taken her to Penn State Brandywine, Drexel University, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Delaware before assuming her current role at Neumann College. She was recently elected as the national president for the Association of Continuing Higher Education (ACHE), is a charter member of the Graduate Philadelphia initiative, and was one of 13 recipients worldwide of an international Fellowship for the 2008 EDUCAUSE Leadership Institute for instructional technology. A 1986 graduate of the University, Szymurski, of West Chester, is dedicated to creating opportunities for others to access learning.

In the area of business, the campus honored a man whose story could inspire anyone looking to start from the ground up. Literally. It all started in his father’s garage. Jerry Parsons, of West Chester, was a member of one of the first freshmen classes to enter Penn State Delaware County in January of 1971. Shortly after graduating, Parsons and his father, Donald, began a small business in their garage in West Chester. Today, Communications Test Design, Inc. (CTDI) is an international telecommunications service provider with more than 4,000 employees in 39 locations worldwide.

Parsons travels extensively worldwide, but still finds time to be active in several community organizations, such as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Board of Education. He has also been instrumental in the planning and development of two new, state-of-the-art high schools in Montgomery and Bucks Counties slated to open in September 2010 and 2012, respectively. In 2004, the National Catholic Educational Association awarded him the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award and the Papal Honor of Sir Gregory the Great for his personal devotion to Catholic education and was inducted into the Chester County Business Hall of Fame.

To view a photo gallery of the event, click here.
To purchase photos from the photographer, click here, and enter 050209 in the password field.

Junior Christina L. Felizzi received the University-wide Eric A. and Josephine S. Walker Award, which is given annually to full-time undergraduate students from each of the campus locations. The Walker award recognizes a student whose outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership, and citizenship have been directed into programs and services that have positively influenced fellow students and have contributed to the prestige and well-being of their campus and, hence, to the reputation of the University as a whole. 

Sophomore and incoming president of the Student Government Association (beginning next fall) Brittney Walker, of West Chester, received the Outstanding Student Service to Campus and Community Award recognizing a student who has given outstanding service to the campus and community through volunteering their time by assisting others or impacting the lives of others, thereby gaining positive recognition for him/herself and for the campus. 

The Barbara-Jackson Williams Award for Cross-Cultural Understanding was given to Paola Pedraza-Rivera. The award recognizes a student who has clearly demonstrated that individual differences are valuable and that learning about others who are culturally different is necessary and rewarding; shown the ability to gain the trust and respect of individuals who are culturally different from themselves; initiated programming efforts involving multicultural issues at Penn State Brandywine; or provided outstanding service in a variety of cultural student organizations at Penn State Brandywine.
 
Andrea McLaughlin received the Outstanding Adult Student Award, which recognizes an outstanding adult student (age 24+) at the campus who demonstrates initiative, tenacity, and flexibility in overcoming obstacles to furthering his/her education; serves as a role model for other adult students by sensitizing the institution to the needs of adult students and by establishing him/herself as a leader in the peer group;  achieves academic excellence as measured by cumulative GPA; and whose clearly defined short and long term goals reflect the values and ideals of higher education. 
 
The student-run newspaper, the Lion’s Eye, won the Student Club/Organization of the Year. The newspaper has shown exceptional involvement throughout the year; was active in recruiting new members and keeping them engaged and involved; contributed to the quality of student life; and promoted campus involvement. 
 
Karrie Bowen, instructor in communications and adviser for the Lion’s Eye, was named Club/Organization Adviser of the Year, an honor that recognizes a faculty or staff member who volunteers his/her time to serve as a club or organization adviser. Bowen has shown that she is truly engaged in the activities and mission of student organizations and is committed to enhancing the student life experience.
 
The Pep Rally sponsored by THON was named the Outstanding Program or Event of the Year, which recognizes a program or event, sponsored by a student club or organization that enhanced the quality of student life by promoting campus community and Penn State pride. This program demonstrated creativity, uniqueness, and inclusion.  
 
Junior Teron Meyers, of Upper Darby, won the Deborah J. Erie Student Leader Award, named for the campus’ director of student & enrollment services. The award recognizes a student leader who displays commitment and dedication to multiple organizations while maintaining solid academic standards. Meyers has shown how leadership involvement contributes to building pride in one’s campus and enriches the overall college experience. 
 
Senior Emily Robb, of West Chester, received the Outstanding Community Service Award for her outstanding work sewing (and encouraging others to sew) “Huggy Pillows”—heart-shaped, fleece pillows given to patients in the cardiac recovery unit at Chester County Hospital,  in honor of Martin Luther King Day of Service. This award recognizes Robb’s volunteer event as contributing to the spirit of civic engagement through raising awareness of and enlisting campus involvement toward supporting a cause.
 
The event concluded with the inauguration of the 2009-2010 Student Government Association: Brittney Walker, president; Mehak Qadeer, vice president; John Bevilacqua, secretary; and Rahel Teklegiorgis, treasurer.
 

Penn State’s Brandywine campus now offers Building a Successful Business Using the Internet, a new 10-week course that provides a step-by-step, proven methodology to build an online business. While a Web site is a by-product of this process, the real focus of the course is a hands-on learning environment that will teach participants how to achieve a successful and sustainable Internet business.

Participants will learn how to generate traffic, how to get noticed by search engines, and how to make money online. Penn State Brandywine has partnered with SiteSell, Inc. to bring a suite of smart tools into the classroom that will allow participants to build a business on the Web without having any technical skills or programming experience.

With the help of a certified instructor, who is running a successful Web site using these same tools, participants will learn about the C-T-P-M process: Content, Traffic, Pre-Selling, and Monetization.

At the end of the 10-week course, participants will have an operational online business and the knowledge to turn their dreams into a money-making endeavor.

“If you are seriously interested in starting your own business, or in putting your off-line business onto the Internet, Building a Successful Business Using the Internet will give you the tools you need to make it happen,” says Cindy McGeever, the course instructor and owner of http://www.top-sales-jobs.com/, a job board designed especially for sales professionals. “I’ve built a successful online business using these tools, and did it without any technical programming skills. I know that what I’m teaching works.”

Class size is limited. Classes are offered on Wednesday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., beginning on June 3 at Penn State Brandywine. For workshop and registration information, please call 610-892-1306 or visit us online at www.bw.psu.edu/CE.

SiteSell Education is a division of SiteSell, Inc., a privately held Canadian company established in 1997. SiteSell partners with educational institutions worldwide to deliver industry-leading, small business building courses.

With the passing of Earth Day, and the realization among earth’s citizens that an environmentally-friendly lifestyle is, indeed, the only way to save the planet in peril, Penn State Brandywine unveiled a new academic minor that one professor says is a move “on a path to create scientifically-literate citizenry that respects and appreciates the environment.”

What is this new “green minor?” It’s called the Environmental Inquiry (ENVI) minor, and it is an 18-credit, intercollegiate minor designed to fit with all University majors. Students must have previously completed nine general education credits while at Penn State in order to pursue the minor.

Associate Professor of Earth & Mineral Sciences Laura Guertin, the science aficionado behind the quote above, will serve as the campus coordinator for the minor. She pointed out that many of the courses satisfy the requirements for the minor beyond just the sciences, such as anthropology, English, philosophy, and American Studies. And there’s more of that to come. Guertin encouraged faculty teaching a course that features an added “environmental theme or twist,” to petition for that course to count toward completion of the minor, too.

“We are the only Penn State campus outside of University Park to offer this minor,” Guertin said, “and with the passion today’s students have for the earth and environmental issues, I am sure this program will be a success.”

Penn State’s Environmental Inquiry minor was created to enrich all areas of academic study with an essential, cross-disciplinary understanding of crucial environmental issues and how they are being framed and tackled from both scientific and policy perspectives.  

The minor will introduce students to different ways of thinking about and studying the environment. It will give students a greater appreciation for the environment, a broader understanding of environmental issues and problems, and insight into alternative methods of inquiry.

The minor permits students to explore environmental interests, provides additional perspectives, and uses a participatory approach and interactive learning style.

On why the major is important, Guertin wrote to the campus community, “Human impact on the environment is an increasingly relevant issue as populations grow, resources are consumed, and businesses and industries become ever more productive. Addressing this issue is controversial and involves complex debates that engage professionals from all fields. Now, more than ever, concerned groups seek individuals knowledgeable about these important issues with experience communicating with people in professions outside of their own.”

The minor will expose students to both the scientific background they need to understand environmental issues as well as the social science needed to promote these issues successfully.

Pride is the name of the game at Penn State University, and the Brandywine campus was overwhelmed with a sense of Penn State Pride on April 15 as it recognized individuals from the campus for their outstanding work inside and outside of the classroom at the Spring 2009 Academics Awards Ceremony.

The day kicked off at 4 p.m. as students who have engaged in undergraduate research throughout the year showed off their research projects in the gymnasium during EURECA (Exposition of Undergraduate Research Enterprise and Creative Accomplishment). The program is designed so students can present an abstract of their work in the form of posters, computer presentations, and videos in a professional setting, giving them practical experience for real-world situations.

Immediately following EURECA, members and friends of the campus joined for another celebration of achievement. The campus honored students Dana Albright, Christina Furia, and Adrienne Showalter as new inductees into international English honor society Sigma Tau Delta, and Albright, Taunja Belgrave, Jenny Evans, Sarah Lane, Showalter, and Lillian Vecchio into the Phi Kappa Phi honorary society.
In addition to the almost 200 students recognized for their academic achievement at the event, the campus also recognized the recipients of the 2009 President’s Freshman Award: Rebecca Brophy, Meredith Klein, and David Michael Serpentine. Student Michael Casassa was honored as the winner of the Dr. Randall Stout Memorial Award, which honors a senior who has demonstrated superior academic performance and outstanding participation in the bachelor of science in business program at the campus.

Representing the campus’ outstanding faculty, Seongeun Kim, associate professor of human development and family studies, was named the 2009 Distinguished Teacher, an award that recognizes a full-time faculty member who provides distinguished teaching while providing encouragement and incentive for teaching excellence and contributions to the Penn State Brandywine campus community.

Seongeun Kim

As a campus dedicated to undergraduate research, it was only fitting that the campus created a new award this year to recognize just that. Associate Professor of Earth and Mineral Science Laura Guertin and student Lindley Jones received the Undergraduate Faculty and Student Research Award, respectively, for completing serious, high-quality research requiring critical thinking, analysis, and creativity.

Laura Guertin with Sophia Wisniewska

Gordon Crompton, senior microcomputer system consultant in the Information Technology Services Department, received the George W. Franz Advising and Mentoring Award for his excellence in helping others recognize and achieve their potential.

Gordon Crompton and wife Diane

And to end the night on a continued high note, the campus recognized Patricia Hillen, instructor in English, as winner of the Madlyn Hanes Faculty Award, created in 1998 to recognize a full-time faculty member who has made outstanding contributions to the campus community through exceptional achievement in teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity, or service.

Pat Hillen

To view the Web photo gallery, click here.

To order photos from the event, click here, and enter 0415209 in the "guest password" field.

Ever seen a car run on vegetable oil? The Penn State Brandywine Environment club had that and more in celebration of Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22.

The campus grounds were buzzing with talk of environmental issues and the sharing of ideas and solutions for local and global environmental issues.

Attendees took an ecological footprint quiz measuring each person’s impact on the earth, saw a car that runs on vegetable oil, practiced drumming in a circle, and enjoyed homemade food near the gazebo in the center of campus.

Click here to view the photo gallery.

For more information on the club contact Averil Sweeny, afa5059@psu.edu.

EURECA provides students from all academic disciplines with a unique opportunity to engage in in-depth research and scholarly activities under the supervision of a faculty member. Each student is then able to present and receive recognition for his or her research or creative work at the annual EURECA Program end-of-year event. Students present an abstract of their work in the form of posters, computer presentations and videos in a professional setting, giving them practical experience for real-world situations. There are approximately 40 presentations planned for this year’s event.

At the annual Spring Academic Awards Ceremony, students will be honored for outstanding academic achievement, such as grade point averages in their field of study, and major academic awards will be presented to both students and faculty members.

To watch the program live, click here.

For the Cooper Honors Scholars’ National Honors Day of Service project, the group joined with hopes of clipping $5,000 worth of coupons that families on the base can use to save on food and other groceries on Tuesday, April 7.

Freshman honors scholar Lauren Orner, of Brookhaven, said, “By sending the coupons we clip, we can help military families get the supplies they need. This is a free and easy way to serve, and we would like to share this opportunity with the whole Penn State community.”

Dr. Laura Guertin, of Media, adviser to students in the honors program, showed her support for the project with a play on a popular phrase used throughout the University community, “We are … Making a big difference,” she exclaimed.

Each year the campus sponsors a different U.S. base abroad. In 2008, with help from volunteers at Granite Farms Estates, the campus sent $156,819.02 worth of coupons to the U.S. Navy base in Yokohama, Japan. In 2007, the campus collected and donated $5,835.70 to the U.S. Air Force Base in Lakenheath, UK.

In February of this year, the campus sent a shipment of $16,588.79 to the U.S. Navy base in Sigonella, Sicily, which is the base the campus will sponsor for 2009.

Groups of Penn State Brandywine students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends join to clip coupons for the U.S. Navy base in Ikego, Japan in the Tomezsko Classroom Building Lounge. The group raised $13,022 in coupons, exceeding their goal of $5,000 for the afternoon.

Seven Penn State Brandywine junior and senior education in multicultural settings (ELEDM) majors showed off their ideas for the classroom at the conference, and two of the three seniors won first and third place in the Learning Center Competition.

According to its Web site, “The SPSEA was created to provide a unified student voice for those preparing for a career in education, to influence and improve teacher preparation in Pennsylvania, to improve appreciation for teachers and the profession, and to protect the rights of students.”

Brittany Miller, of West Chester, won first place for her learning center titled, "The Angle is Right,” and Samantha Hunter, of Wallingford, won third place for her "Scarecrows" learning center. Senior Mike Matteo, of Philadelphia, also entered the Learning Center Competition.

Senior Brittany Miller won first place in the Learning Center Competition at the SPSEA conference for “The Angle is Right.”

Learning Centers are visual displays of student learning activities developed by either an individual or a Student PSEA chapter. The Learning Center entries are displayed throughout the conference and each entry is judged with monetary prizes awarded to the top three entries in each category.

Samantha Hunter won third place in the Learning Center Competition at the SPSEA conference for her learning center titled “Scarecrows.”

Juniors Carolyn Johnson, of Philadelphia; Ashley McBride, of West Grove; Shana Rush, of Wallingford; and Patti Wray, of Aston, participated in the Achieving Professional Excellence (APEX) Competition and received a certificate to recognize the work the chapter had completed in four areas: professional development, community outreach, political action, and membership recruitment. 

Thursday, April 9
11:30 a.m.
101 Main Building

Penn State Brandywine welcomes John Guinane, a videographer at NBC affiliate WGRZ in Buffalo, to our campus to discuss his experiences covering this kind of national news story. From the impact of experiencing a major airline crash, to dealing with witnesses and family, as well as what it was like to work with federal, state, and local authorities, Guinane’s lecture will give insight to what it was like for he and the others on his news team that were among the first on scene the night of Thursday, February 12, 2009 when Continental Flight 3407 crashed in Buffalo, killing 50 people.

Matthew Shupp, Penn State Brandywine’s director of student affairs, has been elected president of the Pennsylvania College Personnel Association (PCPA), a group providing leadership in the student development profession.

PCPA, an organization of approximately 160 members, represents many institutions—public, private, and two- and four-year—across the state of Pennsylvania. Shupp has  been a member since 2002.

Prior to being named president, Shupp co-chaired the organization’s 25th Anniversary Conference in 2006 and held positions on the conference committee in 2007 and 2008. In his capacity as president for a term of three years, Shupp will oversee the executive board and represent PCPA at the annual American College Personnel Association annual national convention.

“My hope is to carry on the momentum that PCPA has gained over the last few years,” Shupp said, “as well as increase membership by exposing more graduate students and new professionals to the benefits of joining such a worthwhile and resource-rich organization.”

Shupp’s activities in the community do not end there. He is one of the authors of the recently released book, “Maybe I Should:  Case Studies on Ethics for Student Affairs Professionals,” published by the American College Personnel Association (ACPA). Specifically, Shupp contributed a case study entitled, “Student Affairs Petty Cash” to the book, which is available through ACPA and University Press of America.

In addition, Shupp was invited to deliver the keynote address for Community College of Philadelphia’s Phi Theta Kappa Induction Ceremony in March.

During a year-long tour in Iraq, U.S. Army soldier Brian Turner turned to poetry as a coping mechanism. The soldier-poet served for seven years in the Army, including one year as an infantry team leader in Iraq with the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. Prior to that, he was deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1999-2000. 

His poetry is honest and powerful. Turner, who will share his poetry at an open mic session at Penn State Brandywine on Thursday, April 2, at 11:30 a.m. in the Tomezsko Classroom Building Lounge, has a remarkable ability to turn the truth and brutality of war into a poetic masterpiece. And all while living each day in a world plagued with cruelty and bloodshed. 

His debut book of poems, Here, Bullet, published by Alice James Books, won the 2005 Beatrice Hawley Award, the New York Times Editor’s Choice selection, the 2006 Pen Center USA Best in the West award, and the 2007 Poets Prize, among others.

Turner's poetry has been published in Poetry Daily, the Georgia Review, other journals, and the Voices in Wartime Anthology (accompanying the feature-length documentary film of the same name). He received a 2007 NEA Literature Fellowship in Poetry. Recently, Turner has completed a second collection, Talk the Guns.

Turner’s visit to campus is part of the annual Brandywine LiTapaLooZa Literary Festival, sponsored by the Student Activities Fund. This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided. 

Do you ever daydream about starting your own business….being your own boss…taking control of your destiny?  Do you worry about losing your job in this turbulent economy?  Do you really have any guarantees with your day job?

The questions for most of us are “How can I strike out on my own without risking it all?  Is it possible to build a business on a part time basis?  Is it possible to start a business without thousands of dollars in startup capital?”

Maybe you own an off line business and are looking for ways to generate leads or traffic to your location.  Is it possible for an off line business to leverage the Internet to generate more revenue?

The resounding answer to all of these questions is “yes!”, and our campus is bringing you this opportunity starting June 3, when Continuing Ed launches Building a Successful Business Using the Internet.

In this 10-week course, participants will progress step-by-step through a proven methodology to build an online business.  While a Web site is a by-product of this process, the real focus of this course is a hands-on learning environment that will teach participants how to succeed on the Internet.

Anyone can put up a Web site.  But the sad reality is that 99% of all online businesses fail.  They don’t get traffic.  They don’t make money.

In Building a Successful Business Using the Internet, participants will learn how to generate traffic, how to get noticed by the search engines, and how to make money on line.  We’re not talking about a Get Rich Quick scheme.  We’re talking about building a business for the long haul.  One that has staying power.  One that will grow over time.

Building a business takes time and work, but the rewards are worth the investment.

Consider this:

Nick Stubbs - All-Things-Photography.com

When deciding upon a career, Nick chose a safe office route rather than following his passion for photography. As a result, he kept searching for "THE thing," a job that would free up his time to do what he does best and loves the most... write, teach, play, and learn.

Two years after building his first site, Nick's schedule for the next twelve months is packed with weddings, commercial work, property photography, and fashion shoots. His contracts take him all over the world. In fact, Nick is so booked that he often forwards client inquiries from his site to other photographers.

Nick is even complaining that "work is getting in the way of work." His photography Web site is producing so much work offline that it is stopping him from building more sites!

"My photography Web site is producing so much work offline it is stopping me from building more sites (which is what I want to do). I have started another which is also starting to take off, and now "work is really getting in the way of work." The beauty about everything I am currently doing, and plan to do for the next few years, is that my efforts will create passive and residual income. I am creating a pension that I can actually pass down to my kids. How many people have one of those? "

How will we do this?

Continuing Ed has partnered with SiteSell, Inc. to bring a suite of smart tools into the classroom that will allow participants to build a business on the web, without having any technical skills or programming experience whatsoever!

With the help of a certified instructor, who is running a successful Web site using these same tools, participants will learn about the C-T-P-M process:  Content, Traffic, Pre-Selling, Monetization: all critical ingredients to building a successful online business.

Participants will brainstorm their own ideas – maybe something they are passionate about - travel, cooking, golf, or green technology; or maybe something they know a lot about - recruiting, writing, or home schooling.  After thoroughly researching their concepts, they’ll choose one that fits their goals.

A significant amount of class time will be spent working hands on to bring students’ concepts to life.

At the end of 10 weeks, they will have an operational online business.

Class size is limited and we expect to sell out early.  If you are seriously interested in starting your own business, or in putting your off line business onto the Internet, Building a Successful Business Using the Internet will give you the tools you need to make it happen.

For workshop and registration information, please call 610-892-1306.

For more information click here.

Campus Schreyer Scholars Teron Meyers and Lindley Jones represented not just our campus, but the entire University at an event in Harrisburg on March 24. The “Undergraduate Research at the Capitol – Pennsylvania” conference showcased exceptional and award-winning research projects completed by undergraduate students throughout the state. Penn State was permitted to send four students – and of the four, two of them were ours! Teron and Lindley presented their research projects to legislators and their staffs, as well as other students and faculty. Congratulations to both of them for achieving this honor and bringing pride to our campus.

Also last week, six honors scholars -- Jennifer Choi, Teron Meyers, James Wang, Paul Cheung, Chris Collins, and Kyle Lauser -- presented their research at the 2009 Northeast Regional Honors Conference in Annapolis, Maryland.  The students presented their posters and talks with professionalism and poise; in fact, we received several compliments on the quality of their questions and their remarkable conference participation.  Congratulations to these students for doing a wonderful job at the conference!

PRESENTATION TITLES

At the State Capitol:
Lindley Jones (w/co-authors Emily Robb, Matthew Liskowycz, Rocco Arena), “Capturing the sun through advanced technology.”
Teron Meyers, “Smithsonian dinosaur type specimens.”

Teron Meyers and Lindley Jones about to enter the state Capitol in Harrisburg.

Teron Meyers with Senator Edwin Erickson at his poster.

At the NRHC Conference:
Kyle Lauser, “A proposal to eliminate urban hunger with community involvement and an innovative food distribution system.”
James Wang, “Effect of ECG electrodes on ECG signal detection and interpretation.”
Jennifer Choi, “Using the grid system to document Smithsonian dinosaur type specimens.”
Christopher Collins, “The deconstruction of America’s middle class: an attack on the heart!”
Teron Meyers, “Cultivating the Arts at Penn State Brandywine.”
Paul Cheung, “The contradictions of a ‘one country, two systems’ policy.”

Students at the Annapolis waterfront during the Northeast Regional Honors Conference (2009). 
From left to right:  James Wang, Paul Cheung, Teron Meyers, Jen Choi, Chris Collins.  Back row:  Kyle Lauser.

Penn State Brandywine’s Women’s Commission named Theresa Walls the 2009 Woman of the Year at the commission’s annual luncheon on Thursday, March 26.

Walls, staff assistant in IST, was cited for her tremendous dedication to her job, to the campus, and to the community. Her positive outlook, friendly smile and readiness to help students, staff, faculty and visitors is apparent to all who know her. Walls has been employed by Penn State Brandywine for over 29 years and does everything she can to make the campus better.  She volunteers on many committees and is always the first one to step forward when help is needed. She initiated and organizes the A.I. DuPont Ronald McDonald House dinner every year, a huge undertaking.

“I was totally surprised,” Walls said. “I didn’t realize they were talking about me until Pamela Main mentioned the 29-year service. Then I knew it was me! It is an honor to be selected for this award. I work with many fabulous and creative women on campus. It is a privilege to work here and I’m glad to help out in any way I can.”

The keynote speaker at the luncheon was Afaf Meleis, author and Dean of Nursing at University of Pennsylvania, who presented “Global Issues in Women’s Health.”

The Women’s Commission luncheon is an opportunity for students, staff and faculty to gather for a social event, and to observe women’s achievements.

If you’re not able to attend “Around the World with Penn State Brandywine” this weekend but want to support the event and our campus, you can do so:
-by sending us your check - payable to Penn State Brandywine - in the amount you wish to contribute, or
-by making a pre-bid on our event’s auction items.

Here’s how the pre-bidding works. Send an e-mail indicating your pre-bid on any item listed in the attachment (please note minimum bids). Your e-mail must contain your contact information (address and phone number, as well as your e-mail address).  Bob Wetzel will send you an e-mail to confirm your bid.  He'll also call you for your credit card information (although we won’t charge your card unless you’re the successful bidder). Pre-bids are valid if you’ve received a confirming e-mail and given Bob Wetzel your credit card information. If your valid pre-bid is higher than all other pre-bids and there is no higher bid at the event on Saturday evening, then the item is yours. We’ll be following up with successful bidders beginning on Monday, May 4.

Please contact Bob Wetzel at 610-892-1253 or rjw29@psu.edu if you have questions regarding the auction. Otherwise, thank you for your support of our students and campus.

For the auction item list, click here.

Congratulations to our Outstanding Alumni to be honored at this event:

Blondell Reynolds Brown '74
Councilwoman At-Large
City of Philadelphia

Aldo Magazzeni '72
Director
Traveling Mercies

Jerry Parsons '74
Chairman & CEO
Communications Test Design, Inc.

Tish Szymurski '86
Dean of Continuing and Adult and Professional Studies
Neumann College

Sophia Wisniewska, chancellor of Penn State Brandywine, attended the awards luncheon at University Park. "This is a great honor, but not surprising, given the scholarship, energy, devotion and creativity that Ivan brings to his students inside and outside of the classroom. This year the University received over 500 nominations for 44 faculty and staff awards, so the competition was very keen. We are so proud of this honor and it couldn’t have been awarded to a more deserving faculty member," said Wisniewska.

Esparragoza's son watches as his father (left) accepts his award from President Spanier.

To read the full story, click here.

The program is free and open to the public.

Team members (left to  right): Gregg  Nestel, Purnik Amin, Thuan Nguyen, Daniel Larson, Thomas Devine,
Titos Gosalvez, Associate Professor of Engineering Ivan Esparragoza, Thomas Coburn, Daniel Spanier. (Not in the picture,Cynthia Quispe.)

Engineering students put the final touches on their machine.

The deadline for nominations for the Award is March 20, 2009.  The award committee encourages faculty and students to plan their application.  Application materials should be e-mailed directly to the Chair of Committee Dr. Raed Elaydi at rse13@psu.edu.

Faculty Undergraduate Research Award

Recognizing that undergraduate research exposes students to detailed involvement in their field, builds leadership, and promotes excellence, Penn State Brandywine will be recognizing one outstanding faculty member for their involvement with undergraduate research over the past year and a half. This inaugural monetary award will be presented at the Spring Recognition Dinner on April 15, and will be given annually based on an endowment for such purpose.

Full-time faculty who have published or presented their work with undergraduates since January, 2008 are welcome to apply. Award candidates will have established an outstanding record of research as shown by: (a) obtaining funding that includes student participation, (b) publishing, (c) presenting their work with undergraduate coauthors. Additionally, they will have shown evidence of reaching out to diverse populations and bringing research type activities into the classroom. Faculty winning this award will stand out as role models and leaders at Penn State Brandywine.

Student Undergraduate Research Award

Recognizing that undergraduate research exposes students to detailed involvement in their field, builds leadership, and promotes excellence, Penn State Brandywine will be recognizing one outstanding student for their undergraduate research completed over the past year and a half. This inaugural monetary award will be presented at the Spring Recognition Dinner on April 15, and will be given annually based on an endowment for such purpose.

 All students who have published or presented research originating at Brandywine are welcome to apply. Qualified candidates will be current Penn State University students or have graduated no earlier than December 2008. These students will have presented their work at conferences or published their work individually or as a coauthor since January, 2008.

Forty-six hours without sleeping. Forty-six hours without even sitting. That is the challenge that THON dancers face, and Penn State Brandywine’s four Thon dancers—Ashley DiNardo, Amy McCaffrey, Ashley Wood, and Katie Beddow—successfully met that challenge.

(Front row, left to right; Katie Beddow, Ashley Wood. Back row; Amy McCaffrey, Ashley DiNardo)

THON—otherwise known as the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon—is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, benefiting the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Children’s Hospital, dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer.

Thirty-six years ago, a small group of Penn State students decided to have a dance marathon. Thirty-four dancers participated and raised $2,000. Today, THON is a huge presence in the Penn State community and throughout the world. There are 15,000 student volunteers and 700 dancers. This year, THON raised more than $7 million!

The fundraising is a year-long effort, and the THON committee at Penn State Brandywine committed many volunteer hours doing canning (collecting small donations in cans on selected weekends in the community) and organizing a THON auction on campus. The efforts of the campus’ fantastic THON committee resulted in Penn State Brandywine being recognized—just one of two Commonwealth campuses—in the THON 2009 Spirit Point Competition, which recognizes organizations for their hard work and dedication leading up to THON. Each campus earns spirit points by hosting various events on and off campus, such as blood or stamp drives, a 5K run, or canning, among others. Penn State Brandywine placed second in the Spirit Point Competition.

Thirty Brandywine students also showed their support during THON weekend by traveling to University Park to cheer on the campus’ dancers.

Facing the physical demands of being awake and upright for two days, the dancers prepared in various ways. Some got extra sleep. Some trained themselves to get by with less sleep. Sophomore Ashley DiNardo said she gave up caffeine and sugar, and worked out to increase her stamina. Although THON was a very difficult thing to do, she said she would do it again "in a heartbeat. This was the best experience of my life. I will never forget it. I am just getting tears in my eyes because it is over. I can’t wait until next year."

 Freshman Katie Beddow said, "Standing and dancing for 46 hours is not an easy thing to do.  However, seeing the impact you make on the Four Diamonds families’ lives and helping out the kids makes it all worth it. Half way through the weekend my feet were starting to hurt pretty badly but then the sweetest little girl named Natalie put her arms out for me to hold her. Holding her reminded me all over again why I was dancing and gave me the strength to keep going.  After that I couldn't feel the pain in my feet anymore."

She added, "The experience of THON is amazing. It was the BEST weekend of my life and the BEST thing I have ever done.  The end was by far the best part, seeing how much money we raised for the kids and hearing everyone cheering, definitely a great ending to the weekend."

Sophomore Ashley Wood danced for the second year in a row. "Being a dancer is an honor," she said.  "I can't say it’s easy.  It’s the hardest thing I've ever done and was even harder the second year! But when I was really getting down I found my inspiration in a boy named Michael. We played for hours and his energy was constant. His mom told me that Michael said he'd never had so much fun in his life. Thinking about Michael, his heart and spirit, and how much I wanted to help him pushed me through to the end. That's the best part of THON. The kids are why we do it ... they are true heroes and our ‘angels among us.’ As hard as it was, I would do it again every weekend if I thought it would help even one child live a better life."

Senior Amy McCaffrey was the campus’ overall THON chair. "Having the opportunity to dance and represent Brandywine was an honor. I have been involved with THON for the past five years and have held a variety of positions on various levels. As a commonwealth THON chair it was outstanding to see so much support coming from our campus and their willingness to travel to State College."

As a dancer, she continued, "You have your ups and downs, good and bad moments but when you see a THON kid all your pain goes away. I kept this quote in my heart and mind whenever the pain would occur: ‘when you dance with your heart, your feet never touch the ground,’ and it is true."

 "Why do we put ourselves through this?" McCaffrey asked. "We THON for the kids, the kids who need us. The little superheroes who for one weekend don't feel pain and can be a kid. The parents who spend countless hours watching their little one get sick. The ones who need a shoulder to cry on. The ones who are weak and the ones who are strong. We THON for the students who lead us in this fight against pediatric cancer, who put countless hours into an organization that means so much to complete strangers. We THON for families, the ones who cancer has stricken their families, the way that one time a year people walk into the Bryce Jordan  Center as strangers and leave as a family. We THON for the laughter, for the tears, for the cheers, and for the priceless memories that THON brings."

Dr. Matthew Shupp, director of student affairs, said, "This was my first time attending THON and attempting to put the experience into words would never do it justice. I’m extremely proud of our four dancers. I’m extremely proud of being part of something that is so much bigger than one singular campus. I’m in awe of what our students accomplished. It proves that when people work for the collective good, nothing is impossible."

Upcoming events include:

Monday, March 16
“Overcoming Domestic Violence”
Karrie Bowen, Instructor in Communications
Brown Bag Lunch Campus Forum
Time and Location: 12:30-1:20 p.m., Main 205

Wednesday, March 19
"The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter"
Opened Classroom Film Screening
Julie Gallagher, Assistant Professor of History
Time and Location:
Screening #1 10:00-11:15 a.m., Vairo Library 110
Screening #2 1:00-2:15 p.m., Vairo Library 110

"Bronze Age Revisited or Bacon Beauties"
Constance Kirker, Assistant Professor of Integrative Arts
Brown Bag Lunch Campus Forum
Time and Location: 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Vairo Library 129

Friday, March 20
“Women in Science: Africa”
Laura Guertin, Associate Professor of Earth & Mineral Sciences
Opened Classroom Lecture
Time and Location: Tomezsko 101, 10:30-11:20

Monday, March 23
"Women in the News: Herstory in the Making"
Karrie Bowen, Instructor in Communications
12:30 p.m.
205 Main Building

This brown bag lunch will examine the role of women in the field of journalism and celebrate the women who broke the glass ceiling in a field that was, and still is in many ways, male dominated.

Tuesday, March 24
"Shakespeare's Sister and Emerson's Aunt: The Literary Women We Never Heard Of"
Phyllis Cole, Professor of English
Opened Classroom Lecture
Time and Location: 6:10-7:00 p.m., Main 217

Thursday, March 26
Women’s Commission Luncheon
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Afaf Meleis
Dean of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania
Time and Location:  11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Tomezsko Lounge

Internationally known scholar and women's health advocate, Afaf I. Meleis, Ph.D., DrPS (hon), FAAN, RN, is the Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Dr. Meleis is also currently serving as Council General of the International Council on Women's Health Issues (ICOWHI). Dr. Meleis received her undergraduate degree from the University of Alexandria in Egypt before moving to the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received a master's degree in nursing, as well as a master's degree and Ph.D. in sociology. She joined the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing as its dean in Winter 2002 after serving more than 30 years as a Professor at the University of California at San Francisco and holding Visiting Professorships in Southeast Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Among her many honors, Dr. Meleis holds The Egyptian Presidential Honorary Award.

Friday, March 27
Sarah J. Glover, photojournalist
Postponed
Philadelphia Inquirer photojournalist Sarah J. Glover will visit campus at 12:30 p.m. as part of the campus’ Voices of Innovation Seminar. In 2004, as a National Association of Black Journalists Ethel Payne fellow, Glover traveled to West Africa to photograph the orphan condition in Sierra Leone and to document Leonard Pitts Jr.’s personal West African heritage journey. A former three-term board member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Glover serves locally as president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists. Her campus presentation in the Commons Building, room 203, will focus on the marriage of her work in both photojournalism and community service.

Tuesday, March 31
Mary Gergen, Professor Emerita of Psychology and Women’s Studies and Dr. Dana Martin, Assistant Professor of Psychology
“Social Construction of Women and Aging”
 Main 305 from 2:30-3:45 p.m.

The following faculty positions are available at Penn State Brandywine:

Accounting
Business Administration

Penn State Brandywine invites applications for a one-year Full-Time, Fixed-Term faculty appointment in  Business Administration/Accounting or Finance to begin August 2010 with possibility of fixed-term, multi-year renewal.

Responsibilities: Teach courses to support four-year undergraduate degree program in Business, including Financial and Managerial Accounting and Corporate Finance with a 12-credit hr load each semester. Participate in professional organizations. Participate in course, curriculum, and program development. Advise students and provide career guidance. Participate in campus, university, and community service activities.

Qualifications: Master’s in Accounting or Finance or a Master's of Business Administration with a specialization in Accounting and be a Certified Public Accountant with industry experience. Experience or interest in active and collaborative learning, the instructional use of technology, and hybrid and online teaching is an advantage. Candidate should have a clear understanding of the unique needs of students at a commuter campus in a suburban setting.  Prior teaching experience expected, college-level teaching experience preferred. Enthusiasm for working in a multidisciplinary environment is important.

Campus Information:  A significant contributor to Penn State's excellent international reputation, Penn State Brandywine is located in the western suburbs of Philadelphia.  Serving approximately 1,700 undergraduates, the campus offers ten baccalaureate programs as well as the first two years of the University's more than 160 academic majors.  For more details, please visit http://www.psu.edu/ur/cmpcoll.html.

Application: To apply submit a letter of application and curriculum vitae. Applications must be submitted as a Microsoft WORD or PDF file to de-daa@psu.edu.  Finalists will be asked to provide a list of references.

Inquiries:  Dr. Paul J. deGategno, Director of Academic Affairs, Penn State Brandywine. Email: pjd15@psu.edu.

Closing Date:  Continues until a suitable candidate is found.

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce.

Business (Administration/Management), Assistant Professor

Penn State Brandywine invites applications for an Assistant Professor of Business Administration/Management (tenure track, 36 week contract). Start date: August 2010, or as negotiated

Responsibilities: Teach courses to support four-year undergraduate degree program in Business Administration, including management and general education courses in business. Teaching load is 3-3. Teaching assignments may require teaching day, evening and/or Saturday classes as needed. Publish in refereed journals. Participate in professional organizations and in course, curriculum, and program development. Advise students and provide career guidance. Participate in campus, university, and community service activities.

Qualifications: Ph.D. in Business Administration, Management, Strategic Management, or Organizational Behavior. Evidence of potential in research and publications is expected. Research in Management Theory and International Management encouraged. Commitment to high-quality instruction in a student-centered environment is expected. Interest in active and collaborative learning, the instructional use of technology, and hybrid and online teaching is an advantage. Prior college-level and online teaching experience preferred. Enthusiasm for working in a multidisciplinary environment is important.

Campus Information: Penn State Brandywine shares in the University’s international reputation for excellence in education, research, and service. Penn State Brandywine is a suburban campus located on 90 acres within the greater Philadelphia region. This small undergraduate campus serves approximately 1700 students in its baccalaureate degree programs: American Studies, Business Administration, Communications, Communication Arts and Sciences, Elementary Education, English, Human Development and Family Studies, Information Sciences and Technology, Letters Arts and Sciences, and Organizational Leadership. In addition, the campus offers the first two years of the University’s more than 160 academic majors. For more information about the campus, visit http://www.psu.edu/ur/cmpcoll.html.

Application: To apply submit a letter of application and curriculum vitae. Applications should be submitted as a Microsoft WORD or PDF file to ccsearch@psu.edu. Finalists will be asked to provide a list of references.

Inquiries: Dr. Paul J. deGategno, Director of Academic Affairs, Penn State Brandywine. E-mail: pjd15@psu.edu. Telephone: (610-892-1411).

Closing Date: Continues until a suitable candidate is found.

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce.

Education, Associate Professor

Penn State Brandywine invites applications for the position of Associate Professor (tenure or tenure-track) of Education (contract 36 weeks). Start August 2010, or as negotiated.

Responsibilities: The successful candidate is expected to manage all program operations, including maintaining active relationships with teachers and administrators in the field with particular emphasis in the Philadelphia metro area, supporting recruiting efforts for the program, managing school placements for students, supervising clinical field work, recruiting and advising students, maintaining a visible role in local educational administration organizations and associations, and planning and advocating for the growth of the elementary education program. As coordinating duties permit, teach undergraduate courses in Language, Literacy and/or Early Childhood Education, including children’s literature, reading and writing in pre-kindergarten to elementary school settings and other courses commensurate with expertise and experience. Publish in refereed journals. Participate in professional organizations and in course, curriculum, and program development. Participate in campus, university, and community service activities

Qualifications: Ph.D. in Literacy, Early Childhood Education, or a closely related field. The successful candidate must have full-time K-8 teaching experience, preferably in public schools, and hold current or prior teacher certification. A record of successful management/leadership at the department level or higher is recommended.

Evidence of  research and publication for the associate professor rank is expected. The award of tenure will be considered if the record of research and publications satisfies the standards for tenure at Penn State University. Commitment to high-quality instruction in a student-centered environment is expected. Interest in active and collaborative learning, the instructional use of technology, and hybrid and online teaching is an advantage. Prior college-level and online teaching experience preferred. Enthusiasm for working in a multidisciplinary environment is important.

Campus Information: Penn State Brandywine shares in the University’s international reputation for excellence in education, research, and service. Penn State Brandywine is a suburban campus located on 90 acres within the greater Philadelphia region. This small undergraduate campus serves approximately 1700 students in its baccalaureate degree programs: American Studies, Business Administration, Communications, Communication Arts and Sciences, Elementary Education, English, Human Development and Family Studies, Information Sciences and Technology, Letters Arts and Sciences, and Organizational Leadership. In addition, the campus offers the first two years of the University’s more than 160 academic majors. For more information about the campus, visit http://www.psu.edu/ur/cmpcoll.html.

Application: To apply submit a letter of application and curriculum vitae. Applications should be submitted as a Microsoft WORD or PDF file to ccsearch@psu.edu. Finalists will be asked to provide a list of references.

Inquiries: Dr. Paul J. deGategno Director of Academic Affairs, Penn State Brandywine. E-mail: pjd15@psu.edu. Telephone: (610-892-1411).

Closing Date: Continues until a suitable candidate is found

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce.

The following adjunct faculty positions are available at Penn State Brandywine:

CHNS 001 Elementary Chinese I (4 credits)
Adjunct position begins January 11^th, 2010. 

Course Description: Introductory study of Chinese language, with audio-lingual practice of Mandarin Chinese and attention to structure and the writing system. Saturdays: 12:00pm-3:30pm.

Applicant must hold an MA or PhD in Chinese pedagogy (applied linguistics) or Chinese literature, native or native-like fluency in English and Mandarin, proficient in traditional and simplified Chinese characters, and teaching experience at the college level in the US or Canada.

Submit a cover letter describing your experience, CV, and contact information for four references to Linda Hayden, Office of Academic Affairs, Penn State Brandywine. All applications should be submitted electronically as a Microsoft Word or PDF file to LMT1@psu.edu.

Closing Date: Continues until a suitable candidate is found
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce.

A ED 303 Art Education (A ED) (3 credits)
Adjunct position begins January 11^th, 2010.

Course Description: The Visual Arts in the Elementary School (3) Basic concepts of current art education theory and practice for the elementary teacher. Tuesdays: 2:30-5:00pm and Thursdays 2:30-3:30pm.

Applicant must hold an MA or PhD in Art Education and teaching experience at the college level in the US or Canada.

Submit a cover letter describing your experience, CV, and contact information for four references to Linda Hayden, Office of Academic Affairs, Penn State Brandywine. All applications should be submitted electronically as a Microsoft Word or PDF file to LMT1@psu.edu.

Closing Date: Continues until a suitable candidate is found
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce.

There are roughly four billion people living off of $2 a day. That is about 65% of the human population. How can we alleviate poverty in the billions -- not thousands? Dr. Elaydi’s presentation will look at the role of businesses and entrepreneurs in this effort.

The event is free and open to the public and will be held in the Vairo Library lower level lounge.

Penn State Brandywine will welcome award-winning poet, Major Jackson, to campus from 12:30 to 1:20 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4 in the Lounge of the Tomezsko Classroom Building. He is the author of two collections of poetry: Hoops (W.W. Norton: 2006) and Leaving Saturn (University of Georgia: 2002), winner of the Cave Canem Poetry Prize and finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award.

Hoops was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Literature - Poetry. Jackson’s third volume of poetry, Holding Company, is forthcoming from W.W. Norton. He is a recipient of a Whiting Writers’ Award and has been honored by the Pew Fellowship in the Arts and the Witter Bynner Foundation in conjunction with the Library of Congress.

Jackson served as a creative arts fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and as the Jack Kerouac Writer-in-Residence at University of Massachusetts—Lowell. He is the Richard Dennis Green and Gold Professor at University of Vermont and a core faculty member of the Bennington Writing Seminars. Jackson serves as the Poetry Editor of the Harvard Review.

His visit is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Student Activities Fund. For more information on the event, call 610-892-1444.

Watch the 5:30 program live. Click here.

Anyone who has picked up a newspaper in the last eight years should be well aware of a group known as the Taliban. But only those who have lived under its rule know the full impact of its violent existence. And it’s those whose muffled cries for help need it the most. It’s Afghan women who lack the rights or the means to escape to a better life.

The daily struggles of women in Afghanistan are marked by hopelessness and despair. Women are imprisoned for things they don’t understand, beaten (or worse) by their husbands for simply looking at another man in the eye, or burned at their own hands in an attempt to escape their fate. But one Afghan woman has relentlessly put her life in danger to expose their plight and improve their lives. In honor of Women’s History Month, Penn State Brandywine will welcome Afghanistan’s most devoted champion of women’s rights, Suraya Pakzad, to campus on Wednesday, March 4.

"I cannot see a woman suffering," she said. "We are half of the population of the world. We are created by the same God."

Pakzad is the executive director of the Voice of Women Organization, one of the leading and most effective non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Afghanistan. The charity’s main goal is to strive for the freedom and empowerment of women in Afghan societies.

In 1998, Pakzad began the Voice of Women Organization in secret in Herat, during the oppressive rule of the Taliban. Today, she helps women organize, run, and win elections in Afghanistan openly.

Pakzad, who on March 10, 2008 was honored as a recipient of the International Women of Courage Award in Washington, D.C., presented to her by then Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, supports programs in prisons for women and their children. In the communities, she helps create education centers, health centers, food centers, business development programs, shelters, and legal assistance for abused women. She also partners with the non-profit organization, Traveling Mercies, building safe community water systems in Herat Province.

Pakzad is a loyal supporter of Afghan women’s rights because she believes Afghanistan will never truly prosper without the contribution of its female population.

During her visit to campus, Pakzad will explore the daily horrors faced by Afghan women and their struggles for independence and basic rights at 12:30 p.m. in room 203 of the Commons Building (open to students, faculty, and staff only) and at an additional gathering, which is free and open to the public, at approximately 5:30 p.m. in the Tomezsko Classroom Building, room 103.

For more information, please contact Risa Pitman at 610-892-1255 or RLP29@psu.edu.

The traditional turkey dinner will include desserts such as apple and pumpkin pie, free massages for parents, and games such as the Nintendo Wii. Children and their families can make bookmarks and door hangers, and the campus community will shower them with knock-knock jokes and words of encouragement written on note cards.

As part of the annual tradition started by the family of Penn State Brandywine staff member Theresa Walls, a red wagon is currently in the Student Affairs office on campus waiting to be filled with donations; monetary or other gifts are welcome. The wagon will be shrink-wrapped by volunteers on Feb. 23 and delivered to the families during the dinner. Volunteers will decorate the cafeteria at the House to accommodate the theme.

To volunteer, make monetary donations, or purchase food items for the dinner itself, contact Walls at 610-892-1362 or txw4@psu.edu. Gifts can be delivered to Dale Soring in the Student Affairs Office in the Commons Building, second floor and monetary donations should be delivered to Walls in the John D. Vairo Library, room 128. Ask about the Ronald McDonald House “Wish List,” which indicates items the House can always use, as well as special items that are especially needed. 

The top ten teams in each of the four regions qualify for a regional tournament, with the top four teams in each region going to the National Championship Tournament in Rochester, N.Y.

In a recent match, Penn State Brandywine faced Neumann College and showed the team’s true mettle. Neumann scored first midway through the first period. Junior Eric Breeden scored late in the period with an assist to freshman Jason Mandel to tie the score at 1-1. The shots on goal were 17 for Penn State Brandywine and 12 for Neumann. The first period got physical and was played at a pace that favored Neumann. But the game speed was not as fast as it was about to get.

As the second period started, the speed of the game increased as did the physical play. Neumann had problems handling   Brandywine’s speed and started taking penalties for hooking and holding. All Neumann’s penalties led to three straight power play goals for Penn State. The first came when freshman Mike Gumina scored, assisted by junior Anthony Carnessi and freshman Tyler Wiltrout, to make the score 2-1. Freshman Matt Green scored, assisted by freshman Brian Eswood and Tyler Wiltrout, with the second power play, making the score 3-1. The shots were 15 for Penn State Brandywine and 13 for Neumann College.

The third period started with Penn State Brandywine on the power play and it did not take long before freshman Alex Davis scored to make the score 4-1. Senior Andrew Galeone scored, assisted by Matt Green, to make the score 5-1 in favor of Penn State Brandywine. Late in the third period, a Neumann College player got behind the Brandywine defense and was pulled down and awarded a penalty shot which he converted to make the final score 5-2. The shots in the third period were 19 for Penn State Brandywine and 7 for Neumann College.

Good luck to the team in the regionals!

“My mom’s best friend manages the community service effort at Chester County Hospital, and she was at our house visiting one day,” Robb said. “She mentioned something called a huggy pillow, how the cardiac unit didn't have enough pillows to go around, and how badly they were needed.” Robb’s curiosity was piqued.

What are huggy pillows? As Robb explained, “They're heart-shaped pillows that are a major part of the recovery process for people who have had heart surgery.” The pillows are used as support, to keep the rib cage intact. Huggy pillows can be purchased, but Chester County Hospital does not have the budget to pay for them. Instead, they rely on volunteers to make them.

Why are huggy pillows important? Patients learn a special technique for breathing and coughing which is made easier by pressing the pillow close to their chests. When patients travel and put on a seat belt, the pillow acts as a buffer and makes for a safer and more comfortable ride.

“There’s also the emotional attachment,” Robb said. “The pillow is a reminder of what they've been through and that they've survived.”

Robb worked closely with Dr. Laura Guertin, honors adviser and the civic and community engagement adviser, to organize the project. Through the use of funds acquired from a grant, she invited the director of volunteer services at the Chester County Hospital to speak to the campus about the work done by the unit and the purpose of the huggy pillow. She also invited John Palka, a volunteer at the hospital who had open heart surgery and received a huggy pillow. The next step was to arrange and publicize the huggy pillow project as part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Day of Service for the campus. Although the campus had made huggy pillows last year, as part of its 40 Acts of Kindness, Robb wanted the effort to be bigger and better this year. She registered the campus on the MLK Day of Service Web site, which helped to get the word out to the community that this event was taking place on campus.

Last year, the campus made 94 pillows. This year, with nearly 60 participants helping out during the six-hour service day, the volunteers sewed 246 pillows but could only complete 118 because they ran out of fiberfill. Robb and Guertin personally delivered the pillows to the Chester County Hospital and, as Robb said, “To me, it was the best part. I was able to show off our hard work from the service day and had the opportunity to meet a cardiac recovery patient.  Just talking to him and realizing how important the huggy pillows are to them made the all time, work, and stress that came with organizing the whole project completely worth it.  It was fantastic.”

Congratulations to Emily and all the volunteers on this wonderful achievement!

Penn State Brandywine feels it’s time someone explained to everyday consumers just how deeply food affects their lives. The campus’ annual Clarence D. Bell Public Lecture Series, to begin on Feb. 19, will offer an intellectual feast throughout the spring to do just that.

A dynamic group of practitioners, scholars, and policymakers will take the community to the heart of debates about food technology, food policy/labeling, the dieting/obesity crisis, food engineering (including organic vs. genetically modified organisms (GMOs) vs. “healthy”), and agribusiness. The series offers a forum where students, faculty, staff, and the wider community can come together to learn and exchange ideas about one of the vital issues of its time.  

2009 Bell Lecture Series schedule at a glance:

February 19:  Packaged food labels that include nutrition symbols, production claims, health claims, and healthier choice symbols will be explained during “Fat Free to Free Range:  Better Food Choices or Tower of Babel? A Look at Consumer Use of the Food Label” by Nancy Childs, professor of food marketing at the Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph’s University.

March 3: Penn State University’s own Professor of Agricultural Engineering Paul Walker will address in laymen’s terms the concept of canning and processing foods that require no refrigeration. He will discuss the stability and safety of canned foods versus those in plastic packages—an issue any frequent canned-food aisle shopper should understand!

March 31: "Is a Sustainable Food System Possible and Might Food Citizens Take the Lead?" will be tackled by Iowa State University’s Professor of Religion and Philosophy Fred Kirschenmann. “In food circles sustainability is often characterized as ‘greening’ our present food system,” he said. “Citizens are becoming increasingly aware and interested in where their food comes from, how it is produced, and how it affects their lives, so we may be able to imagine a new generation of food citizens engaged in helping to reshape our food world.” Kirschenmann manages his family's 3,500-acre certified organic farm in south central North Dakota and is president of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.

April 14: To conclude the series, the campus will welcome Deanna M. Behring, former assistant director for International Affairs at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.  Behring worked directly on food policy for a number of years and will discuss the U.S.’s efforts to develop a strategic approach to countries regarding food aid—both direct aid and capacity-building. She is director of international programs for the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State University.

The Clarence D. Bell Public Lecture Series was established in support of the estate of the late Senator Clarence D. Bell, the longest serving public official in Pennsylvania, who died July 26, 2002. The purpose of the series is to honor the senator’s memory and perpetuate his devotion to serving the population of Delaware County. 

The series is free and open to the public. Each of the four sessions will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Tomezsko Classroom Building, Room 103.

Penn State Brandywine is located at 25 Yearsley Mill Road in Media.

For more information on the series, please contact Risa Pitman at 610-892-1255, RLP29@psu.edu.

For the past five years, the Silent Auction has been Penn State Brandywine Thon’s most successful event to date. Through written bids, students, faculty, staff, and members of the community can compete for items provided by local and corporate donors. Everyone is invited to enjoy the festivities that the event has to offer, especially the surrounding community, which has been a big aid in previous years.

This year, Penn State Brandywine Thon decided to expand the event. In addition to the auction, a carnival has been added to the list of activities. With this creative twist, the organization seeks to reach as many people as possible by creating an enjoyable atmosphere while raising money for children. The carnival will feature gift baskets, door prizes, arts and crafts, karaoke, games, celebrity appearances, and an array of other things, including a visit from Miss Philadelphia.

Throughout Penn State University, students are raising money for children dealing with the horrible childhood disease of pediatric cancer through Thon. This money goes directly to the Four Diamond’s Fund, which supports cancer research. Additionally, the money raised relieves parents of medical expenses for children that stay at Penn State Children’s Hospital in Hershey, Pa.

During four selected weekends, many students participate in canister fundraising to receive voluntary donations, a large portion of the organizations total. Outside of those weekends, students must rely on alternative efforts to raise money for their campus organization. In 2008, the university-wide organization raised $6.6 million, and to date has donated $52 million to the Four Diamonds Fund.

This year, Thon has adopted the theme, “Dream Forward,” which is appropriate for Penn State Brandywine Thon because its members are hoping this year’s Silent Auction will surpass those in previous years. Last year, Penn State Brandywine Thon earned $12,779.44 for its fundraising year. With events such as the Silent Auction, members are striving to exceed such goals to maintain Thon’s reputation of being the largest student-run philanthropy in the world.

For more information on the silent auction, please contact Teron Meyers at tam5086@psu.edu or Amy McCaffrey at aem259@psu.edu. To learn more about Thon, please visit http://www.thon.org/.

“I was extremely excited for the opportunity to join Penn State University,” said Shupp when he learned of his new position. “My previous institution was much larger than Brandywine and I think Brandywine presents a more intimate setting to work with students.

 “I think my position will bring a renewed energy and sense of excitement to student affairs.”

Shupp said he has many plans for keeping the momentum going in the campus’ student affairs office, but is also looking to move it to the next level. He hopes to enhance programs and create additional opportunities that will provide a holistic experience for students.

“Anyone that speaks with me will quickly find out that I have a passion for students and provide meaningful experiences for them on campus,” Shupp said.

He earned a doctorate in education in 2007 from Widener University, master of science degree in counseling in 2003, and a bachelor of arts degree in psychology in 2000 from Shippensburg University. In addition to his previous position, Shupp served as assistant director of student life at CCP for a number of years, and held student affairs-related positions at The Restaurant School and Shippensburg University.

(Matthew Shupp and Ronika Money)

Ronika Money joined the campus as coordinator for student services and involvement. She is charged with supporting the mission statement of the department and helping students achieve their personal and professional goals through programming, leadership, and service opportunities. She is responsible for major events coordination—specifically contracts, advertisement, and artist contact—, is adviser to the Council of Club Presidents as well the Student Programming Board, and serves as a community service resource.

Prior to arriving at Brandywine, Money served as a resident director at West Chester University for two years. She holds a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Delaware State University and a master of arts degree in student affairs in higher education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

When Money learned of her new position, she was excited. “I found the campus community to be welcoming and genuine,” she said.

She will discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), explaining how it affects college professors and what the expectations are regarding reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Through use of simulations, Manco will show how a learning environment can present roadblocks to people with disabilities. She will also touch on the concept of universal design, especially as it applies to designing courses and making course materials easily accessible.

The Faculty Forum is an annual lecture series, held in the Vairo Library, lower level lounge from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., featuring one faculty member each month to discuss topics of their choice. It is free and open to the public.

These fleece-filled, heart-shaped pillows are provided by the hospital to patients recovering from open heart surgery. It is crucial post-surgery for these patients to keep their lungs clear of fluid as well as relieve the pressure on the sternum, ribs, and chest muscles. Patients hug the pillows to support the chest area while coughing, sneezing, or laughing. They can also be used under a seatbelt for protection while driving.

“The pillows also provide an emotional attachment or mood lifter for the patients,” Robb said. “We use happy fabric such as Penn State logos or footballs and we write personal notes on the back.”

She said the hospital can go through as many as 30 pillows in one month but since they are not typically covered by insurance and the non-profit hospital is unable to cover the cost itself, it “relies solely on the generosity of others”  to get the pillows. Robb’s goal for the project is to make 70 pillows in one day but she doesn’t plan on stopping there.

She has created pamphlets for the hospital explaining how others can volunteer and is working on a Web page for the hospital’s Web site because after conducting a Google search she was unable to find any information on huggy pillows.

Robb is also encouraging area middle school and high school teachers to persuade their students to make pillows annually. “This is such an important thing to do and I want to make sure people keep making these pillows even after I graduate,” she said.

As a senior honors student, Robb was required to complete a final project in order to graduate next fall, a project she says all other students focus around their majors. Robb, a business major, decided to step outside her comfort zone and focus her project on community service.

“I’ve been blessed with my education and wanted to give back. This just seemed right,” she said.

Not only is Robb the first student in the honors program to focus on a project unrelated to her major, she is also the youngest person to register an event through the MLK Day of Service Web site.

To date, nearly two dozen community members have signed up to participate.

Associate Professor of English Arnold Markley analyzed the works of a range of British reformists writing in the 1790s who reshaped the conventions of contemporary fiction during the revolutionary decade to position the novel as a progressive political tool in his newly published book, "Conversion and Reform in the British Novel in the 1790s: A Revolution of Opinions."

Published by Palgrave Macmillan in Dec. 2008, the book dramatically expands the boundaries of the progressive British "Jacobin" novel. Rather than working to launch a bloody revolution, these authors worked to initiate political and social reform in such areas as women's rights, abolition, the Jewish question, the gambling and dueling controversies, immigration to the New World, and the leveling of the class system in Britain by converting the individual reader, one reader at a time.
Authors covered include William Godwin, Mary Wollstonecraft, Charlotte Smith, Mary Robinson and Maria Edgeworth, among many others.

Markley expects that those interested in the book will include graduate students, teachers at the undergraduate and graduate levels, university and public libraries, and scholars in the fields of British fiction and British Romanticism. This book also will appeal to scholars and students who study the effects and influence of the French Revolution in Britain, the development of the English political novel, political radicalism, feminist and abolitionist literature, and Utopian fiction in the late 18th century.

Markley wasn't the only Penn State Brandywine professor delving into the history of politics. While Markley was exploring the work of writers, Stephen Cimbala, distinguished professor of political science, was investigating the implications of deploying missile defense by the United States and Russia during the current and future decade in his book, "Shield of Dreams: Missile Defense and U.S.-Russian Nuclear Strategy."

Under the Bush administration, the United States began the process of deploying a global ballistic missile defense (BMD) and in 2007 announced plans to locate parts of the system in Eastern Europe. This plan, in turn, alarmed Russian president Vladimir Putin and contributed to a deterioration in U.S.-Russian relations and contributed to the Russian incursion into Georgia.

Cimbala discusses how a post-Bush/post-Putin era could open the door either to improved detente or to increased acrimony over such holdover issues as missile defense and NATO enlargement, the fate of the CFE (Conventional Forces in Europe) and INF (Intermediate Nuclear Forces) treaties, and U.S. hegemony in world politics. Russia's improved economy under Putin has raised its political self-confidence and made more resources available for military modernization, compared to the 1990s. Russia's previous willingness to take a back seat to U.S. and allied NATO countries on the world stage has been replaced by an assertiveness that emphasizes Russia's status as a formidable power.  Russia's nuclear weapons greatly support their claim to be a world power.

According to the author, Russia considers the U.S.-Russian SORT (Strategic Arms Reductions Treaty) agreement of 2002 an important benchmark for modernizing its long-range nuclear forces. SORT comes into effect on the last day of 2012, and it requires the United States and Russia to decrease their numbers of operationally deployed nuclear weapons on intercontinental launchers to between 2,200 and 1,700 weapons. Cimbala considers how stable the U.S.-Russian nuclear deterrence and arms control relationship might be once these SORT levels are reached.  In addition, he evaluates whether the two states could actually reduce their numbers of deployed weapons below SORT levels, even to the level of "minimum deterrence" forces, with hundreds instead of thousands of deployed weapons. If so, movement in the direction of smaller but still highly competent Russian and American nuclear forces could persuade other nuclear powers to reduce their inventories proportionately, making for a safer world.

Since 1990, Penn State alumnus Aldo Magazzeni has dedicated much of his life to bringing clean water, shelter, and hope to those in need  around the world through his charitable organization, Traveling Mercies. Photographs of his journey helping poor and neglected people in Afghanistan and Africa are currently on display until March 6 in the Penn State Brandywine John D. Vairo Library.

The exhibition, titled Traveling Mercies: Humanitarian Journeys into Afghanistan and Africa, includes photographs from Afghanistan and Kenya, taken from 2002 on. In these powerful images, Magazzeni documents the struggles of women who wish to be educated in Afghanistan, the restoration of hope for Kenyan orphans with HIV, and the satisfaction of villagers who finally have clean, safe drinking water.

(Women are determined and united to build the water system.)

“The photographs give a voice, not to me or to the photo, but to the people,” he said. “They provide a way for me to capture and remember them; to record a relationship and an experience with the people I meet.”

He has implemented training programs and created a day care center for women in the Kabul jail and installed thousands of meters of water pipe and built storage tanks that supply water to more than 2,000 people in five villages in the Panjsher Valley, near the Hindu Kush Mountain Region. The water system in Herat City will benefit more than 20,000 people.

In Kenya, Magazzeni helped build a self-sustaining village for AIDS orphans; in Ethiopia, he cared for dying AIDS patients; he provided blankets and food for victims of Afghanistan’s 2006-07 winter storms; and bought new computers and supplies for the Harrison Vocational Training School, in Gulf Port, Miss. after Hurricane Katrina. In his hometown of Philadelphia, Magazzeni supports the Salvation Army and the Women of Hope Shelter.

(Aldo Magazzeni with Kenyan child.)

Since he began using his camera to connect with people around the world, Magazzeni has traveled the East Coast to share his photographs and educate people about how they can help.

For information on upcoming events regarding the exhibit please periodically check for updates on this site. The exhibition is open to the public during normal library business hours now through March 6.

To learn more about Magazzeni’s work abroad, see more photographs, or learn how to help, visit http://www.travelingmercies.org/.

Directions to the campus
Library hours

This annual event honors outstanding alumni, and we ask your help in submitting names for consideration. The individual must have been a regular full-time student on the Brandywine campus for at least two years but does not need to be a graduate of Penn State Brandywine. Current members of the Advisory Board and current staff members are not eligible.

Our theme for this event will celebrate the international flavor of our campus so special consideration will be given to those alumni who are good global citizens. From the Oxfam Web site (http://www.oxfam.org/), the definition of a good global citizen is someone who:

• is aware of the wider world and has a sense of his or her role as a world citizen;
• respects and values diversity;
• has an understanding of how the world works economically, politically, socially, culturally, technologically and environmentally;
• is concerned about social injustice;
  participates in and contributes to the community at a range of levels from local to global;
• is willing to act to make the world a more sustainable place;
  takes responsibility for his or her actions.

It is so important for our current students to hear about the accomplishments of former Penn State Brandywine students, many of whom had to overcome obstacles to achieve their success. Please take a moment to complete the nomination form. Thank you for your assistance, and we hope you will attend the event on May 2 to celebrate our campus and recognize our alumni.