Campus News Feed http://www.ga.psu.edu/ en-us Thu, 23 May 2013 02:42:43 EST RedDot CMS Spring theatre production: The Flower Queen's Daughter http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33314.htm Invitation to the Spring theatre production: The Flower Queen's Daughter

The Penn State Greater Allegheny Players presented their spring production, "The Flower Queen's Daughter," on April 28, 29, and 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the Fitness and Cultural Center.

Opening night featured a reception at 6:30 p.m. with Eastern European delicacies.

The production was supervised by Dr. Jay Breckenridge, professor of Theatre Arts, and is part of the campus Teaching International Program.

]]> Sun, 03 Jul 2011 14:21:22 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33314.htm Student Research Conference Winners Announced http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33563.htm Students present posters at Spring 2011 Conference

The Spring 2011 Student Research Conference on April 14 featured student posters from many disciplines. Submissions in the categories of Teaching Eastern Europe and Honors were considered for prizes based on the all-campus voting that took place on the same day.

Teaching Eastern Europe

First place:

Luiza Sarbu, Don Shulock, Brandon Diana, Jake Samudovsky; "FluroFlav: Dental Hygiene in Romania;" IB303 Cerasaro

Second place:

Lori Benack, Matt Kiss, Marie Popovich, Janet Zayas; "HealthyWave, Poland;" IB303 Cerasaro

Honors

First place:

Marie Popovich; "Food or Fuel?" IB 303 Cerasaro

Matthew Kiss; "Kohls: Smeal Case Competition;" BA 422W Hough

Second place:

Xuerong Xiao, Sheng Wei; "Tensile and Bending Test Using Strain Gauge;" EMCH 213 Lipsky

]]> Sun, 27 Nov 2011 12:19:09 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33563.htm Student research conference scheduled - April 14 http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33262.htm Students showing their work at the conference last year.

Penn State Greater Allegheny students will highlight their research projects at the campus Student Research Conference. Student work will be displayed in the Ostermayer Room of the Student Community Center from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 14. (Download the program)

Over 30 projects will be on display, representing many disciplines. The assignments also relate to one or more campus programs: Teaching Eastern Europe, Greener Allegheny, Honors, and Civic Engagement.

Members of the campus community will have the opportunity to vote for the best submissions.

]]> Thu, 14 Apr 2011 05:25:43 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33262.htm Making sense of ‘the Romanian orphans’ phenomenon http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33258.htm
A resident of Pittsburgh for the past 10 years, Alina Bodea earned her MD degree in Romania just a year before the collapse of Ceausescu’s repressive regime. She continued working in clinical medicine until the end of 1990 when she joined the emerging non-governmental sector and became active in programs for institutionalized children.

Dr. Bodea is currently a doctoral candidate in Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health. Her dissertation explores some of the fundamental assumptions embedded in the contemporary pursuit health in the U.S. and investigates professional and lay views of health promotion.   She is also an active member of the Romanian Study Group at the University of Pittsburgh.

The presentation will be held at 12:15 p.m. in the Ostermayer Room of the Student Community Center. The event is open to the campus and the public. Bodea's talk is a part of the Globalization and Sustainability Speaker Series sponsored by Penn State Greater Allegheny’s Teaching International, Greener Allegheny, and Honors Programs. ]]> Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:38:49 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33258.htm Another side of human rights: History professor to discuss FBI, civil liberties http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33257.htm On Thursday, March 31, from 12:15-1:30 p.m., Douglas M. Charles, assistant professor of history at Penn State Greater Allegheny, will make speak on the FBI and human rights.

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

The presentation will be held in 117 Frable Building. The event is open to the campus and the public. Charles’s appearance is a part of the Globalization and Sustainability Speaker Series sponsored by Penn State Greater Allegheny’s Teaching International, Greener Allegheny, and Honors Programs.

]]> Thu, 31 Mar 2011 06:18:13 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33257.htm Teaching International speaker to explore the topic of modern slavery http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33227.htm Mary Burke
Mary Burke On Tuesday, March 22, from 12:15-1:30 p.m., Mary C. Burke will make a presentation in the Ostermayer Room of the Student Community Center exploring the topic of modern-day slavery. The event is open to the campus and the public. Burke is a faculty member in the Psychology Department at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, where she is the director for the doctoral program in counseling psychology. During the summer months, Burke serves as affiliate faculty in the Department of Counseling and Human Services at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Currently, Burke represents the Association for Women in Psychology on the United Nations Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations Committee on Mental Health. In addition to her participation in various national and international professional associations, Burke founded and directs the Project to End Human Trafficking (www.endhumantrafficking.org). This United States based non-profit group works regionally, nationally, and internationally to raise awareness about the enslavement and economic exploitation of human beings. In this role, Burke has given more than 150 talks about human trafficking both in the United States and abroad and has begun antitrafficking coalitions in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. In addition, she has spoken to various state and regional elected officials in Pennsylvania and Virginia regarding this issue and has worked on legislation in these states in support of strengthening human trafficking laws.

Burke currently serves on Pennsylvania’s Senate Resolution 253 Advisory Committee, which was established for the purpose of making recommendations to the State’s General Assembly regarding human trafficking in Pennsylvania. In the Allegheny County region of Pennsylvania, Burke initiated the Southwestern Pennsylvania Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition in 2006. Over the past three years, the Coalition has provided services to 35 victims of trafficking. Awards most recently received by Burke include the Max & Esther Sestili Award for Excellence in Teaching (2010), Woman of the Year Award from Zonta International (2009), as well as recognition from both the City of Pittsburgh (2009) and Allegheny County (2010) respectively for her activism in human trafficking in the local community.

Burke’s appearance is a part of the Globalization and Sustainability Speaker Series sponsored by Penn State Greater Allegheny’s Teaching International, Greener Allegheny, and Honors Programs. ]]> Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:49:57 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33227.htm Globalization and Sustainability Film Series to feature local speaker http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33169.htm Steve Hvozdovich from Clean Water Action in Pittsburgh will give a 10-15 minute presentation before the showing of Gasland on March 3.

Mr. Hvozdovich is a graduate of Baldwin-Whitehall High School and the University of Pittsburgh, where he majored in history. He now works for the environmental organization Clean Water Action as its spokesman on Marcellus Shale drilling issues.

Clean Water Action is an organization of 1.2 million members working to empower people to take action to protect America's waters, build healthy communities and to make democracy work for all of us. For 36 years Clean Water Action has succeeded in winning some of the nation's most important environmental protections through grassroots organizing, expert policy research and political advocacy focused on holding elected officials accountable to the public.

The showing of Gasland at 12:15 p.m. in the Ostermayer Room of the Student Community Center is open to any students and faculty using the film to support their classes.

]]> Sun, 27 Feb 2011 20:59:04 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33169.htm Speaker to address changing attitudes about gender and work in Europe http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33137.htm The next speaker in the Globalization and Sustainability Speaker Series, Irene Hanson Frieze, will present "Responding to a Changing World: Attitudes About Gender, Work and Family in Post-Socialist Europe," on Thursday February 24 at 4:30 p.m. in Frable 221.

Professor Frieze has worked at the University of Pittsburgh since 1972. She was hired in Psychology and Women's Studies to help develop the Women's Studies Program. She came from UCLA in Los Angeles, where she received all her university degrees.

Today, her major research areas include a cross-cultural study of changing work, family, and gender attitudes in Central and Eastern Europe and the United States. She also works on Intimate Partner Violence, place attachment and other psychological factors in travel and migration, women and retirement. She finds that moving from one research area to another helps keep things more interesting. One of her current major activities is being editor of the journal, Sex Roles: A Journal of Research.

Her cross cultural research is done in collaboration with scholars from Slovenia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Russia. She has been working in this region since 1991, during a time of major economic and political transitions.

The speaker series is co-sponsored by Teaching International, Greener Allegheny, and the Honors Program.

]]> Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:55:59 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33137.htm Professor to speak about changes in Eastern Europe http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33006.htm 1989: The Meaning and Consequences of the Year of the Fall

Professor Ronald H. Linden will be speaking on Human Rights and Changes in Eastern Europe as part of the campus's Globalization and Sustainability Speaker Series.

The talk, entitled "1989: The Meaning and Consequences of the Year of the Fall,” will focus on changes in Eastern Europe after the fall of Communism and the Soviet Untion.

The lecture will be held at 12:15 p.m. in the Ostermayer Room of the Student Community Center.

Ronald H. Linden is Professor of Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh. A Princeton Ph.D. (1976), he was Director of the Center for Russian and East European Studies at Pitt from 1984-89 and 1991-98. From 1989 to 1991 Dr. Linden served as Director of Research for Radio Free Europe in Munich, Germany with responsibility for observing and analyzing the extraordinary changes in East Europe.

His most recent publications on the region include introductions for and editing of two Special Issues of Problems of Post- Communism, on “The Meaning of 1989 and After,” (2009) and on “The New Populism in Central and Southeast Europe” (2008). He is the author of “EU Accession and the Role of International Actors,” in Sharon Wolchik and Jane Curry (eds.) Central and East European Politics: From Communism to Democracy, 2nd edition and “The burden of belonging: Romanian and Bulgarian Foreign Policy in the New era,” Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies (2009).

During 2009-2010 Dr. Linden was a Transatlantic Academy Fellow at the German Marshall Fund, in Washington, where he was co-author and editor of the forthcoming volume, Turkey and Its Neighbors: Foreign Relations in Transition.

Dr. Linden has received research grants from the National Council for Eurasian and East European Research and from the International Research and Exchanges Board. He has been a Fulbright Research Scholar, a Fulbright Distinguished Lecturer, a Research Scholar at the Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies of the Woodrow Wilson Center, a Senior Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace under the Jennings Randolph Program on International Peace, and a Guest Scholar of the East European Studies Program of the Woodrow Wilson Center.

]]> Sun, 27 Feb 2011 18:58:48 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33006.htm Kelly Library Ends the Semester with a Human Rights Write-A-Thon http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33380.htm On December 10, the J. Clarence Kelly Library was one of the many hosts to the day’s write-a-thon to encourage Human Rights causes. The 2010 “Write for Rights” write-a-thon, hosted by Amnesty International, was declared as the largest human rights events, and for reference librarian Rachel Masilamani, the timing couldn’t have been better.

“I was talking to the Teaching International committee and since our theme was human rights, and International Human Rights Day was December 10 – our last day of class – I thought this was the perfect way for the library to get involved.”

Students seemed to echo that sentiment. A number of students came to write letters for the campaign from 10am to 2pm throughout the day, despite it being the last day of class for the semester and a hectic one before finals started. Rachel’s goal was to have a total of 50 letters written for the day.

At the write-a-thon, Amnesty International provided informational sheets each describing a different human rights violation across the globe. On the reverse side, information was provided about whom to write to in order to hopefully right these injustices. Options typically included the government agency most adept to fix the issue as well as a prewritten letter of support to the victim.

For example, one human rights offense highlighted the instance of a number of Roma people Romania. In 2004, around 100 Roma people, pejoratively referred to as “Gypsies,” were living in a home in a central Romanian town before they were forcibly evicted from the home. As if it weren’t enough that the safeguards for evictions laid out in international law were not met, having been evicted from the home, around 75 of the 100 Roma are now living in metal cabins right next to a sewage plant. Six years later, and after a number of promises that those unsanitary conditions were temporary, the Roma are still living there with authorities seemingly having no plan to relocate them into adequate conditions.

After reading the story, letter writers had two options: write a letter to the mayor, expressing your concern for the Roma people and calling for action, or to write a letter of hope to the Roma families with a sample message in Romanian.

A number of students decided to write to both the mayor of Csikszereda as well as the Roma people after learning about Eastern Europe, while others wrote to causes closer to their own hearts.

Sheng Wei decided to write to Mao Hengfeng, an activist detained for defending women’s reproductive rights, because both Sheng and Mao are Chinese.

“I grew up there so I kind of understand the situation because in China, there are certain events the government doesn’t want the public to know about,” Sheng said. “But in America, people are free to discuss whatever they want.”

In all, 26 students and staff visited the write-a-thon, and with a total of 51 letters, surpassed Rachel’s goal for letters written. Rachel was happy to have reached the goal, but seemed even more enthusiastic about what the human rights event meant for the campus.

“I think as a campus, we’ve learned a lot about human rights, but to learn about it is the first step. This was the next step and a good way to end the semester.”

Story by Daniel Koenig

]]> Mon, 04 Jul 2011 06:26:07 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33380.htm Amnesty International Write-A-Thon on International Human Rights Day, Dec. 10 http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32937.htm The J. Clarence Kelly Library at Penn State Greater Allegheny will host an Amnesty International Write-A-Thon on International Human Rights Day. Join us on Friday, December 10 from 10am-2pm and participate locally in the world's largest letter writing event to take action to assure that human rights are respected and protected around the world.

This event supports the Teaching International Program's focus on Human Rights. All campus students, faculty, staff, and members of the public are encouraged to participate. Materials, information and refreshments will be provided.

For more information, contact Rachel Masilamani, reference librarian at 412-675-9119

]]> Sat, 11 Dec 2010 17:56:20 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32937.htm Greater Allegheny Players present "Eastern European Tales" http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32890.htm The Penn State Greater Allegheny Players will be presenting a Children's Theatre production of “Eastern European Tales,” as part of the Teaching International Project. There will be a special PEPP (Penn State Educational Partnership Program) preview show at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 30, in the new Fitness and Cultural Center. Subsequent performances at the Fitness and Cultural Center will be held at 12:15 p.m. on Dec. 2, and at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 3 and 4.

The production will include the following three stories, adapted for children’s theater:

  • "The Magic Doctor," adapted from the retelling by Val Biro in Humgarian Folk-Tales, Oxford University Press, 1980;
  • "Baba Yaga, a Russian Tale," adapted from the retelling by Linda Jennings in "A Treasury of Stories from Around the World," Kingfisher Books, 1993; and
  • "The Dragon of Krakow," adapted from the retelling by Richard Monte in "The Dragon of Krakow and Other Polish Stories," Francis Lincoln Children’s Books, 2008.

In this style of theater production, there are no props, no costumes and no sets. The actors, wearing T-shirts and jeans, mime the props and become the scenery -- as well as playing the characters and functioning as narrators in the stories. Audience members are encouraged to join their imaginations with the cast to create the mise en scene -- the picture of what is happening on the stage.

Adaptations for the Children’s Theatre production were made by Caroline Burke, Carolyn Edwards, and Jay Breckenridge, professor of theatre arts. The production is directed by Breckenridge.

]]> Wed, 01 Dec 2010 19:46:27 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32890.htm Fall 2010 Student Research Conference winners announced http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32914.htm The winning entries from the Fall 2010 Student Research Conference have been announced. Commendations were given in the categories of honors and Teaching International.

Authors Title Class Adviser Award
Sheng Wei and Xuerong Xiao Some Applications of Vectors MATH 230H Chen 1st place honors
Sheng Wei and Xuerong Xiao Summing Alternating Harmonic-like Series MATH 297H Chen 2nd place honors
Kovalsky, Kelly The Inner Whispers of Polish Women: Educational Dreams are a Path to Empowerment SOC 110 Montecinos 1st place Teaching International
Kiss, Matt Red and White in the Red and White: The Influence of Coca-Cola and Marlboro in Poland MKTG 450W Kobylanski 1st place Teaching International
Meghan Boehm; Caroline Burke; Amber Corpa; NeChell Franklin; Sarah Manley; Karry Smith; Diamond Snow; and Michael Tarasan Global and Geographic Knowledge PSYCH 301W Signorella 2nd place Teaching International
Caroline Burke and Carolyn Edwards Eastern European Folk Tales as Children's Theatre LA 497A Breckenridge 2nd place Teaching International

]]> Mon, 06 Dec 2010 09:18:39 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32914.htm Teaching International and Penn State Greater Allegheny in the news http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33385.htm Pittsbugh Post-Gazette article on campus students at local conference Verónica Montecinos, professor of sociology, and four students from her sociology class recently attended Amnesty International’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh. The event celebrated the organization’s accomplishments upon this, its 50th anniversary, with a hopeful view for the next 50 years.

Heather Bittner, Rachael Grasso, Miranda Mellor and Audia Robinson, the four students attending the conference, expressed interest in creating a campus chapter of the international human rights campaign organization. In an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the students noted the Teaching International program as the source that has drawn their attention to human rights injustices, especially this semester as we’ve studied Eastern Europe.

 

Story by Daniel Koenig

]]> Wed, 06 Jul 2011 06:01:51 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33385.htm Eastern European Topics at the Student Research Conference http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33383.htm Projects at November’s Student Research Conference featured a topics that focused on Penn State Greater Allegheny’s Teaching International theme of Eastern Europe. Videos and posters made by students working both individually and in groups from a variety of different fields and courses were on display in the Ostermayer Room on November 18. The following features just a sample of the Eastern European themed projects from the conference.

Students Caroline Burke and Carolyn Edwards from Dr. Breckinridge’s Theatre 282 course presented a poster describing their Eastern Europe themed class objectives. The duo extracted the plots of some of the region’s well known folk tales to develop into plays.

“We wrote the scripts, interviewed for parts and directed the students in their pantomiming,” Caroline explained.

Folk tales like Hungary’s “The Magic Doctor,” Russia’s “Baba-Yaga” and Poland’s “The Dragon of Krakow” were passed down orally like many legends and fairy tales and, while they can seem exaggerated and fantasized, they reveal aspects of life in that part of the world.

“These stories are usually about the hierarchy. They were told from the peasants’ point of view. They weren’t meant to be told to children but, rather, around a fire,” Carolyn said.

Dr. Kobylanski’s Marketing 450w course was well represented as a number of students investigated the progress and impact of American companies in Eastern Europe. Clayton Delaney, Breanne Lilja, Anna Maksin and Zach Rowe noted the “green” efforts of UPS in Romania. The group explained that higher gas prices in Eastern Europe led the shipping company finding new alternatives to automobiles, including the use of bicycles, to deliver packages.

Matt Kiss examined the influence that Coca-Cola and Marlboro had on citizens in Poland. “Coke basically capitalized on their revamped economy” Matt said. “They reinvested in bottling companies in the country.”

Yet another Marketing group comprised of Allison Haag, Kevin Hammerstrom, Shannon Kovac and Don Shulock indicated the differences in approach that fast food giant McDonald’s takes in Poland compared to here in America.

“One thing we noticed was how differently they advertize there. They target different demographics.” Allison said. “[The food] is a little more expensive in Poland. They have a few different menu items and appeal to local tastes, but McDonald’s is still marketed as a fast food restaurant” Don added.

Dr. Brown displayed short documentary films made by students in her Marketing 310 class at the conference, too. Groups of four to five students worked to capture and upload video and edit footage down to three to four minute documentaries which kept within the themes of Eastern Europe and human rights.

One group, represented by Alyssa Lapinski, took an in-depth look at the Katyn Forest massacre. They interviewed Penn State Beaver professor and expert on the topic, Dr. Szymczak (some may recall his visit early in the Fall semester to lecture on the Katyn Forest massacre), and had the challenge of editing roughly forty-five minutes worth of footage down to less than five.

Other groups included Chris O’Neal’s, which addressed the large numbers of domestic violence cases in Ukraine, and Breanne Lilja’s group’s look at the world of Russian “mail-order brides” complete with interviews with fellow students and faculty members on the topic.

A documentarian herself, Dr. Brown was pleased with the final products of her students. “It’s very fulfilling as a faculty member to enlighten students through marketing concepts and to have them engage in film and video productions that brings light to human rights issues in Eastern Europe.”

Story by Daniel Koenig

]]> Mon, 04 Jul 2011 05:48:36 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/33383.htm Students showcase research projects http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32680.htm DSC_0028
2009 Student Research Conference

Penn State Greater Allegheny students will highlight their research projects this week at the campus Student Research Conference. Student work will be displayed in the Ostermayer Room of the Student Community Center from 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday November 18.

Over 30 projects will be on display, representing many disciplines. The assignments also relate to one or more campus programs: Teaching Eastern Europe, Greener Allegheny, Honors, and Civic Engagement.

Members of the campus community will have the opportunity to vote for the best submissions.

]]> Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:59:17 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32680.htm Speaker recounts survival of concentration camps http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32623.htm DSC_0335 Edith Bell offered an informative and moving account of her experience as a victim and survivor of the persecution of the Jewish people during the Nazi regime in Germany at a lecture she gave at Penn State Greater Allegheny.

At age 19, she was captured and sent to several concentration camps. Her father, a former WWI veteran, died in prison of an untreated illness. Her mother perished in the gas chamber, soon after mother and daughter were separated upon arriving at one of the camps.

The lecture, offered to a group of about 40 students and other campus members, vividly portrayed everyday living conditions among women prisoners: grueling work schedules, meager food rations, inadequate sanitation and clothing. As Soviet troops advanced and German guards abandoned their posts, with painfully blistered feet, Edith Bell began a years-long journey through various countries, Denmark, Panama and eventually settled in the U.S.

Bell answered student questions drawing on decades of work as an impassioned peace activist. She ended her talk exhorting students to seek information about contemporary violations of human rights and mentioned several campaigns and civic organizations that students could approach to become more involved citizens.
  ]]> Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:08:16 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32623.htm Edith Bell to speak on human rights and activism http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32598.htm The second speaker in the Globalization and Sustainability lecture series at Greater Allegheny is Edith Bell.  Her talk, "Human rights violated: Testimony from a peace and justice activist," will take place on Tuesday, October 12 at 12:15 p.m. in Frable 119.

Edith Bell was born in Hamburg, Germany and spent several years in concentration camps during WWII. After years in the Netherlands, Israel and Panama, she came to the United States in 1955.

In the early 1960’s she became a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and has been a peace and justice activist ever since. She has been speaking on her experience of growing up as a Jewish child in Nazi Germany to many diverse groups for the past 20 years.

The  Globalization and Sustainability speaker series is co-sponsored by the Teaching International, Greener Allegheny, and Honors Programs at Penn State Greater Allegheny.

]]> Mon, 11 Oct 2010 10:59:26 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32598.htm Teaching International's globalization and sustainability film series continues http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32569.htm As part of the Teaching International film series, the film, "Art 21: Ecology" was shown in the Ostermayer Room at Penn State Greater Allegheny.  The film delved into the work of four artists whose work explores the relationship between nature and culture.

Other films in the lineup for this year's Teaching International film series include: "The Peacekeepers and the Women" to air from 3 to 5 p.m. on Oct. 27, in Room 117 of the Frable Building; "Miss Gulag," from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 17, in room 117 of the Frable Building; and "Food, Inc.," from 12:15 to 1:45 p.m. on Nov. 30, in the Ostermayer Room at the campus' Student Community Center.

]]> Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:43:05 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32569.htm Overview of Eastern European history opens speaker series http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32563.htm Dr. Robert Szymczak, associate professor of history at Penn State Beaver, will be the first speaker in this year's Globalization and Sustainability series, focusing on Eastern Europe and human rights. The presentation wil provide some historical perspectives on Eastern Europe.

Szymczak is a specialist in European, American, and Slavic history with a special emphasis on Poland and Polish Americans. He is an expert on the Katyn Forest Massacre of 1940, the subject of one of his two doctoral dissertations (D.A. Carnegie-Mellon; PhD University of Lancaster). A film on this tragedy was shown this month on campus.

One of Szymczak's recent publications is "The Vindication of the West: The Katyn Case in the West, Poland, and Russia, 1952-2008" in The Polish Review.

The talk will take place in Frable 117 from 12:15-1:30 on Tuesday September 28 and is free and open to the public.

Co-sponsored by Teaching International, Greener Allegheny, and the Honors Program.

]]> Mon, 27 Sep 2010 07:39:49 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32563.htm Globalization and Sustainability Film Series begins http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32548.htm Globalization and Sustainability Film Series: Katyn Katyn, the first film for this year's Globalization and Sustainability Film Series, focusing on Eastern Europe and human rights, was presented on September 16. The Polish film, which was nominated for an Oscar, focuses on a World War II tragedy, in which the Soviet Union massacred tens of thousands of Polish officers and highly educated citizens. Katyn refers to the location of the killings and mass graves where the victims were buried. (See, for example, Scott, 2009).
]]> Sat, 25 Sep 2010 08:53:34 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32548.htm International focus on Eastern Europe and human rights, links to sustainability http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32484.htm This year, Teaching International is highlighting Eastern Europe and human rights. Instructors can focus on any of the listed countries or human rights as it may relate to their teaching. A web page has been developed that lists the countries included in Eastern Europe and provides news on speakers, films, and other activities.

The campus library has also collected resources for Teaching International online and can assist instructors and students in exploring and researching the region.

A second initiative at PSUGA called Penn State Greener Allegheny has formed a coalition with Teaching International. We are calling the coalition Globalization and Sustainability. Penn State Greener Allegheny is focused on addressing Green and Sustainability issues both globally and locally. Resources for this area of focus have also been collected at the Greener Allegheny web site.

]]> Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:55:30 EST http://www.ga.psu.edu//Academics/InternationalPrograms/32484.htm