Campus News Feed

Photos from spring commencement held on May 4

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:36:00 EST

Penn State Greater Allegheny�s spring 2013 commencement was held on Saturday, May 4 at 11 a.m. in the Wunderley Gymnasium on the campus.

Chancellor Curtiss E. Porter presided as diplomas were conferred to students receiving baccalaureate and associate degrees. President and CEO of MARC USA, Michele Fabrizi, was the keynote speaker.

Under Fabrizi�s helm, MARC USA, one of the nation�s largest independent advertising agencies, has become known for its ability to forge powerful, motivating emotional connections between brands and customers across all channels. She joined MARC USA in 1982 and moved rapidly up the ranks. In 2003, she was named President & CEO of the nationwide advertising division, the post she holds today. Prior to this, as President and Chief Executive Officer of MARC USA�s Pittsburgh headquarters, she oversaw unprecedented growth culminating in a 200% increase in billings in her first two years.

Fabrizi is respected as a leading professional in her field, and Adweek magazine cited her as one of the outstanding women in advertising. With her talent as a leader and manager, she also fostered the growth of MARC USA�s employee-centered culture, which was cited as one of the top ten in the nation by the Principal Financial Group.

Fabrizi serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, where she led the development of the new regional brand and the marketing efforts for Pittsburgh�s 250th Anniversary. She also serves on the Executive Committee and Board of the United Way of Allegheny County and was the first woman to chair the annual fundraising campaign. Fabrizi chairs the Boards of Directors of both the Pittsburgh Opera and the Andy Warhol Museum. She is also a Trustee of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.

Her contributions to her profession and the community have been recognized with numerous awards. Her honors include Pennsylvania Department of Commerce Fifty Best Women in Business, Carlow University Women of Spirit, Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce Athena Award, Ernst & Young Western PA Entrepreneur of Year Finalist, YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh Tribute to Women � Communications and Girl Scouts of SW Pennsylvania Woman of Distinction � Professional.

Penn State Greater Allegheny celebrates 30th annual Honors Convocation

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:46:31 EST

Penn State Greater Allegheny held its 30th annual Honors Convocation at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, in the Wunderley Gymnasium on campus. Chancellor Curtiss E. Porter presided. Nearly 100 Penn State Greater Allegheny students received awards for academic achievement and leadership.

Each year, scholarships are awarded in a number of categories, such as academic achievement, honors and scholars, National Honor Society in Psychology, Psi Chi, and the Chancellor�s Literary Awards, which are selected by the chancellor to represent the best from among the literary and visual arts produced at the campus by either full- or part-time students.

Other named scholarships and campus awards cover a broad range of criteria for each respective honor, such as the John W. Beatty Memorial Scholarship, Kalich Family Student Leadership Award, and the Rhodes Student Leadership Award, which recognizes academic achievement and community service by an undergraduate student at Greater Allegheny.

In addition, the Penn State Greater Allegheny Alumni Society awarded scholarships from its endowed fund.

ABSENCE: A Celebration of the Arts to be held on April 24

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:09:45 EST

Rui Chu, A Fixed Glaze

ABSENCE: Penn State Greater Allegheny's Literary & Visual Art Review announces its 2013 �Celebration of the Arts: A Reading & Reception for Volume 15,� from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24, in the Ostermayer Room of the Student Community Center, with a 6 p.m. kickoff by the Campus Band.

The event will feature the best literary and visual art produced by members of the campus community during the past year. The event also will celebrate the arts with live performances from the campus choir and drama club, and scenes from the spring theatre production, "Merlin in the Middle � of the King Arthur Legend," which takes place at 7:30 p.m. from April 25 - 27, in the FCC Theatre. The eighth annual Chancellor�s Prizes for the Best Literary and Visual Art will be presented by Chancellor Curtiss Porter. This event is free and open to the public. Complementary copies of this year's issue, Volume 15, will be available in print for the first time, featuring twenty pages of full-color art and a special section dedicated to this year�s Teaching International themes, the Celtic Nations and Water.

Published by the student-operated Penn State Greater Allegheny Press, ABSENCE is a high-quality literary and visual arts review for the Greater Allegheny and surrounding community. The review�s goal is to provide all full- and part-time students, faculty, staff and alumni with a shared venue for their creative endeavors, and to generate interest in the arts. ABSENCE also prepares students for careers in academia, publishing and journalism, and document design -- both paper and digital -- while offering opportunities for students to earn Penn State credit for editorial work. Several student editors have gone on to careers in publishing and academia.

The student editors led by Editor-in-Chief Courtney Handlovitch, invited faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the campus to submit their poetry, short fiction and nonfiction, essays, photography, visual art, etc. for consideration. A �blind submission� process is used by the student editorial board to evaluate each work. All student submissions were eligible for consideration for the Chancellor�s Prizes, which were established in 2006 to promote the growth of an active creative community in and around Penn State Greater Allegheny.

�ABSENCE is a great place for artists, whether budding or more experienced, to submit their creative work, and to have it permanently displayed. The students on the editorial staff have worked hard to produce a quality issue,� said Clifford Manlove, associate professor of English and ABSENCE faculty adviser since 2002. He added, �This year�s art is exceptional, too. We are looking forward to a great reception for the unveiling of the review.�

Campus partners with Silkscreen Asian-American Film Festival

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:38:08 EST

Penn State Greater Allegheny, for the fifth year, is a proud sponsor of the Silkscreen Asian American film festival. The eighth annual festival will be held May 10-19 at various Pittsburgh Filmmaker locations, showcasing films and filmmakers with origins in India, Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Iran and more.

Greater Allegheny Director of Academic Affairs Margaret Signorella said, �We are proud to partner with this unique organization. We encourage our students and faculty to foster a promotion of greater awareness and understanding of world issues and international trends. The Silkscreen festival is a great way to celebrate diversity and helps students to develop an appreciation of different cultures.�

According to their website, Silk Screen was created in June 2005, with the goals of including educating communities about Asian and Asian American history, culture, experiences, and issues, fostering understanding across lines of race, ethnicity, religion, age, and region, and sustaining growth and encouraging excellence in Asian American culture.

Some of this year's films include "Asura" from Japan, "Nightmare" from China, "Present Tense" from Turkey, and many more.

Professor Montecinos receives Excellence in Teaching Award

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:20:55 EST

Dr. Ver�nica Montecinos, professor of sociology at Penn State Greater Allegheny, has received the Alumni/Student Award for Excellence in Teaching. She also was named a 2013 Penn State Teaching Fellow.

According to a news release from the Penn State Alumni Association, the award was established in 1988 to honor distinguished teaching and provides encouragement and incentive for excellence in teaching. Recipients are expected to share their talents and expertise with others throughout the University system during the year following the award presentation.

Montecinos joined the campus faculty in 1990. She also has served as discipline coordinator for the Social Sciences and Education for Penn State's 14 campuses and is the International programs coordinator at Penn State Greater Allegheny. Montecinos's research has focused on democratization, technocracy and public policy, the history of economics and economic ideas in Latin America, and gender politics. She is the author of "Economists, Politics and the State: Chile 1959-1994" and co-editor of "Economists in the Americas." Montecinos earned her undergraduate degree from the Catholic University in Chile. She holds masters of arts degrees in sociology and political science and a doctorate in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh.

Montecinos�s teaching emphasizes the importance of internationalizing the curriculum. Nearly 10 years ago, she initiated the Teaching International program at Penn State Greater Allegheny. This multidisciplinary initiative aims at strengthening the intellectual climate of the campus, educating students about trends of global significance through the study of various countries and world regions. This program has developed into a model of global education based on course lectures, class projects, student research, public debates, service learning activities, theater productions, films and guest lectures.

Campus commemorates International Women's Day & World Water Day, March 28, 2013

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:38:16 EST

The Teaching International program at Penn State Greater Allegheny will commemorate International Women�s Day and World Water Day with a series of presentations by faculty and students at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, in the Ostermayer Room, Student Community Center. The event is open to the public and light refreshments will be provided.

Presentations will include the following:

� "Bully!: Teddy Roosevelt, Conservation, and Masculinity," Doug Charles, assistant professor of history
� "Responsibility Without Respect: Tanzanian Women Farmers,� Penn State Greater Allegheny student Ambre Vailes-Macarie
� "A Reenactment of Tea at the Treedome," Penn State Greater Allegheny drama students: Courtney L. Handlovitch, Mike Mattis, Brandi Telli, Tim Tolbert, Raven Moore, Brianna Toth, and Lauren Pruitt
� "Thinking about how we think about women," Liz Mazur, associate professor of psychology and Ellie Higgins, associate professor of English
� "Sanitary pads and education: What's the connection?," Penn State Greater Allegheny student Sara Davis
� Poetry Reading, Milli Mickle, associate professor of English
   o �Diving into the wreck,� Adrienne Rich
   o �From the house of yernaja,� Audre Lorde
   o �Fifteen haiku for Toni Morrison,� by Sonia Sanchez
� "Gender and the Dual Water/Sanitation Crisis," Ver�nica Montecinos, professor of sociology
� �A Model of a Squat Toilet," Eric Lipsky, assistant professor of engineering, with Penn State Greater Allegheny students Jared Reesman and Nathan Ferraro

According to UNWater.org, the website of the United Nations coordination mechanism for all water-related issues, World Water Day is held annually on March 22 as a means of focusing attention on the importance of fresh water and advocating for the sustainable management of fresh water resources. Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of fresh water. The 2013 World Water Day was dedicated to �water cooperation.�

International Women�s Day has been observed since the early 1900s. Annually on March 8, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate their achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities, and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades, and more. The theme of International Women�s Day 2013 is the Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum.

The Teaching International program at Penn State Greater Allegheny has been in place since 2004. Its goal is to educate students about world trends by studying different regions and issues of global importance. This year's focus is on the Celtic Nations and water. More than 20 faculty and staff members are cooperating to explore and reflect on various aspects of the history, culture, and economic, social, and political reality of this region. Course lectures, student research projects, public debates, service learning activities, theater productions, films, and guest lectures will be used to spread knowledge about this area of the world. Teaching International is a partner with the Greener Allegheny initiative and the Honors Program to bring lectures, films, and other activities on globalization and sustainability to the campus.

A film screening of "End of the Line" by Rupert Murray

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:37:27 EST

The End of the Line, the first major feature documentary film revealing the impact of overfishing on our oceans, had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. Filmed over two years, the documentary follows the indefatigable investigative reporter Charles Clover as he confronts the politicians and celebrity restaurateurs who exhibit little regard for the damage their policies�and their menus�are doing to the oceans. Taking us from the cod-depleted shores of the Atlantic to the Straits of Gibraltar and the coasts of Senegal, and on to the Tokyo fish market, THE END OF THE LINE sounds a powerful wake-up call to the world: If we continue fishing as we are now, we will see the end of most seafood by 2048.

The Irish James Joyce in the 21st Century World

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:29:49 EST

William Brockman has been the Paterno Family Librarian for Literature at Penn State University since 2001. Previously he held positions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and at Drew University. He has been Bibliographer for the James Joyce Quarterly since 1990, and has published articles on Joyce in Journal of Modern Literature, Papers of the Bibliographical Society of American, Joyce Studies Annual, and other journals. In collaboration with the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas, he edited the James Joyce Checklist. Currently William is co-editing The Ungathered Correspondence of James Joyce.

Road to the Isles - Traditional Music & Dance of Scotland and Ireland

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:03:04 EST

Road to the Isles performs the pipe and fiddle music, dance, and folksong traditions of Scotland & Ireland and will transport the audience to the lochs and glens of the Celtic lands of old. The group's six performers contribute their talents on the fiddle, flute, pipes, guitar, and with vocals, Irish Step dancing and Scottish Highland dancing. Dance performances include the sword dance, highland fling, sean triubhas, Irish reel and jig, slip jig, and hornpipe, all complemented by songs, stories, and instrumental solos and duets. This show's theme focuses on the cultural relationship shared by the Irish and Scottish people, who share many ties, as well as contrasts, in their music and dance.

Spring theatre production to present 'Merlin in the Middle' April 25-April 27

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:38:10 EST

TIERRA DE LEYENDAS: El Mago Merl�n

As part of this year�s Teaching International focus on the Celtic nations, professor of theatre arts Jay Breckenridge�s Theatre 208 class will present "Merlin in the Middle: Of the King Arthur Legend" at 7:30 p.m. April 25 to 27, in the Fitness and Cultural Center. The working script includes the appearance of a Druid Chorus to take the audience back in time to the sixth and seventh centuries, when the events of Arthur's and Merlin�s story "really" took place.

According to Breckenridge, �There are very few historical �facts� in the story of Arthur -- he was more a literary hero than an historical one. Nearly everything in the legend was made up centuries after his mention in Welsh poetry as possibly a battle hero of the Celts in their warfare with invading Saxons in Britain around 600 A.D. The most notable fabricators of the legend, later in the Middle Ages, are Geoffrey of Monmouth, Sir Thomas Malory (whose "Le Morte d�Arthur" is the most famous version) and Chr�tien de Troyes. The campus play draws on many subsequent retellings, as well.�

In the Penn State Greater Allegheny version of the legend, the somewhat-more-historical Merlin presides over several conflicts in Arthur's household: Arthur is plotting strategy and trying to unite the Celtic clans for a great battle with the encroaching Saxons at Badon Hill; Guinevere wants Arthur to be declared high king first and is anxious for the arrival of the big Round Table, which is being sent as her dowry by her father; Morgan le Fay (Arthur's evil half-sister) is plotting magically and politically to undermine Arthur; Merlin's attentions to his apprentice wizard (the beautiful young Nimue) are not sitting well with Merlin's wife, Gwendolena; and the braggart soldier Lancelot is bribing Merlin's apprentice bard, Taliesin, to make up songs praising Lancelot's imaginary heroic exploits.

As they converse and contend, Merlin creates magical "flashbacks" to fill in more details, assisted by the Druid Chorus as �flashback� characters.

The production is free and open to the public.

Professor's new book explores link between punk, higher education

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:47:50 EST

Penn State Greater Allegheny Assistant Professor of Communications Zack Furness recently published a book, "Punkademics."

"Punkademics" is a collection of essays about punk and higher education, all of which were written by college professors, and a few graduate students, who hail from the punk scene. Furness said, �Having spent the better part of the last 15 years immersed in both punk culture and academia, I've found that there's an interesting overlap between these two worlds and I was interested in hearing about what others had to say about this seemingly odd juxtaposition.�

When asked why he chose punk music, as opposed to, say, rock or another genre, Furness answered, �My interests in punk go well beyond the music, despite the fact that I still play in bands and go to shows. Put simply, getting involved in some of punk's splintered subcultures is what initially sparked my interests in politics, independent publishing, and the process of thinking critically about media and popular culture. In short, it's what set me on the path to become a teacher, a writer and a political dissident.�

A book description on Amazon.com states, �In the 30 years since Dick Hebdige published Subculture: The Meaning of Style, the seemingly antithetical worlds of punk rock and academia have converged in some rather interesting, if not peculiar, ways. A once marginal subculture documented in homemade 'zines and three chord songs has become fodder for dozens of scholarly articles, books, Ph.D. dissertations, and conversations amongst well-mannered conference panelists. At the same time, the academic ranks have been increasingly infiltrated by professors and graduate students whose educations began not in the classroom, but in the lyric sheets of seven-inch records and the cramped confines of all-ages shows. 'Punkademics' explores these varied intersections by giving voice to some of the people who arguably best understand the odd bedfellows of punk and academia. In addition to being one of the first edited collections of scholarly work on punk, it is a timely book that features original essays, interviews, and select reprints from notable writers, musicians, visual artists, and emerging talents who actively cut & paste the boundaries between punk culture, politics, and higher education.�

Furness plans to use exerpts from the book in his classes. �I primarily teach courses in media studies, so I will likely use a few of the chapters in my lesson plans. There are some interesting and very teachable essays about the intersections of music, politics and culture that are ideal for any of my communications classes,� he said.

This June, Furness will be taking part in a panel on punk music and identity at the 2013 "Console-ing Passions" conference in England, and he�s hoping to start the process of editing a book (tentatively) called More Than a Scene: The Spaces, Places, and Cartographies of Punk. �Most of my academic work, including my first book, One Less Car, has been focused around the politics of transportation and car culture, so doing a book on the cultural geography of punk is merely another way to expand my interest in urban spaces and places. In fact, my next big research project is going to be investigating the cultural politics of gentrification in Pittsburgh,� said Furness, adding, �But then again, I'm a rather unorthodox researcher and I don't like to pigeonhole myself. For example, I'm currently co-editing the first collection of critical/cultural scholarship on the National Football League, which will be published by Temple University Press later this year.�

Clearly, Furness has a lot of enthusiasm about both his book projects and teaching. He tells students to enjoy their work as well. His advice? �Get up, get into it, get involved.�

Zack Furness is an assistant professor of communications at Penn State University, Greater Allegheny and author of the book, "One Less Car: Bicycling and the Politics of Automobility" (Temple University Press, 2010). He also is editor of Punkademics (Minor Compositions / Autonomedia, 2012), co-editor of "The NFL: Critical/Cultural Perspectives" (Temple University Press, 2013), and contributor to several edited collections, journals, and nonacademic publications including Bitch, Souciant, and Punk Planet. Furness was a longtime editor and contributor to Bad Subjects, one of the pioneering publications on the Internet, and has played in punk bands since 1997. He currently sings in BARONS, a punk band based in Pittsburgh, Pa. "Punkademics" was recently reviewed by the Los Angeles Review of Books.

Advising Day is March 12

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:48:05 EST

Tuesday, March 12, 2013 is Advising Day. Please join the academic advisers in the Student Community Center (SCC) during Common Period, 12:15pm - 1:30pm.

Summer and Fall 2013 scheduling is underway. This is the perfect time to touch base with your academic adviser and to begin reviewing your plans for summer and/or fall.

Advising tables will be located in the dining area, on the concourse, and in the Traina Room. Computers, on which you can access eLion, will also be available in the Traina Room.

Snacks will be available too!

We look forward to seeing you in the SCC on Tuesday.

Greater Allegheny to hold off-campus housing fair

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 12:16:21 EST

Penn State Greater Allegheny�s Office of Student Affairs will hold its fourth annual Off-Campus Housing Fair on Tuesday, Feb. 12.

Local property owners who currently make housing options available for Penn State Greater Allegheny students will be available to showcase their properties and talk with students about the availability of off-campus housing. The program will run from noon until 2 p.m. in the Concourse area of the Student Community Center.

Students considering off-campus living for the 2013-14 academic year will be able to meet directly with and interview current property owners, ask for specific information about their properties and make appointments to visit properties, compare properties and see what is the most affordable option, and be certain they secure housing for the fall of 2013.

For more information, contact Glenn J. Beech, director of student affairs, at 412-675-9163 or gxb2@psu.edu.

Campus plans for THON, a 46 hr dance marathon to raise funds for cancer

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:06:22 EST

Two Penn State Greater Allegheny students will dance in the University�s annual dance marathon, THON, from Feb. 15 to 17, at the Bryce Jordan Center at University Park. The dancers will attempt to stay on their feet for 46 hours.

Dancers are Julia Qualiotto, a junior business management major, and Andrew Pricener, a sophomore business management major.

The campus is also holding a late-night THON bowling event. The community is invited to attend the event, which will be held at North Versailles Bowl from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. Feb. 9. Cost is $20 per person.

THON began in 1973, when dancers raised just more than $2,000. Today, it is the largest student-run philanthropy effort in the nation. The event has raised more than $89 million for The Four Diamonds Fund, which supports childhood cancer research.

To donate to THON on behalf of the Greater Allegheny campus, contact Joseph Edmiston, director of development, at 412-675-9048. For more about the history of THON, visit http://www.thon.org.

Celtic Dance Workshop offered by Liz Shovlin Grinko

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:04:55 EST

Celtic Dance Workshop to be presented the the SCC at 12:15 on Tuesday, February 12th by Liz Shovlin Grinko. Liz is a certified ceili dance instructor, as sanctioned by An Coimisiun le Rince Gaelacha, The Irish Dancing Commission, based in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. Also a former step dancer, Liz spent nine years as a teacher�s assistant and performance moderator for the Burke Irish Centre Dancers in Pittsburgh. In addition to teaching with the Shovlin Academy, Liz is currently a ceili and set-dancing instructor for the Pittsburgh Ceili Club. Liz calls the ceili and set dances every Tuesday at Mullaney�s Harp & Fiddle as well as PCC�s monthy ceilidh and Pittsburgh Irish Festival.

Scholarship opportunities for Greater Allegheny students

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 08:13:09 EST

The campus is soliciting applications for two types of scholarships. There is a common application form and both have a February 25 deadline. The application packet describes both opportunities, requirements, and application procedures.

JoAnne E. Burley Leadership Scholarship

The JoAnne E. Burley Leadership Scholarship has been established to provide recognition and financial assistance to undergraduate students who demonstrate leadership qualities in the classroom and the community.

To be eligible for this scholarship the student must:

be a full-time or part-time undergraduate enrolled or planning to enroll at Penn State Greater Allegheny who has demonstrated good character and leadership in the classroom and through their participation in campus activities;
have at least a 2.75 cumulative GPA in Fall 2012;
have demonstrated outstanding leadership on campus within the previous twelve months.

Financial need may be a consideration for this award.

Alumni Society Scholarships

The Alumni Society created a scholarship for students attending Penn State Greater Allegheny. This award was established to provide recognition and financial assistance to a deserving current degree student who has met the requirements for the award:

An eligible student must:

be a full-time undergraduate student who is currently enrolled in a baccalaureate or associate degree program at Penn State Greater Allegheny;
have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA at the end of Fall 2012 to apply, and at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA when the award is made in Fall 2013.
demonstrate campus involvement through extracurricular activities and/or community service;
submit a letter of recommendation from a Penn State Greater Allegheny faculty or staff member.

Qualified applicants also will be required to appear for a personal interview before the Alumni Society Scholarship Committee. (Tentatively scheduled between March 11 and March 15 in the evening.)

Preference may be given to the son or daughter of a Penn State alumnus or alumna (defined as having completed at least 12 credits at Penn State).

Previous Alumni Scholarship recipients are not eligible to apply.

Christopher Duffy on water resources and climate change

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 14:09:12 EST

The next speaker in the series sponsored by Teaching International is Christopher Duffy, a professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Penn State.

The talk will take place on Monday Feb 4, 2013 from 10 am � 11:30 am in the Ostermayer Room, Student Community Center, Penn State Greater Allegheny.

Duffy�s research focuses on developing a new generation of computational models and supporting data infrastructure for managing the nations water resources. His research is driven by the fact that modern environmental predictions for flood, drought, water supply, water quality and ecological services in the nations watersheds require high resolution, spatially distributed data and computing resources.

Previously, he has held visiting appointments at Cornell University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Ecole Polytechnique Federale Lausanne, and was a Senior Fellow with the Smithsonian Institution.

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

Michael Vicaro to speak on Hunger Striking

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 12:18:24 EST

Starving for Speech: Hunger Striking as Political Speech from Northern Ireland to Guantanamo Bay

Presented by Michael Vicaro, an Instructor of Communications at Penn State Greater Allegheny, on Thursday, January 24th at 12:15 p.m. in the Ostermayer Room in the Student Community Center. His research focuses on communicative interaction in hostile environments. He is currently completing a doctoral dissertation at the University of Pittsburgh on detention and interrogation policy in the Global War on Terrorism. His work has been published in the journal Rhetoric & Public Affairs.

Make a Grant Project teaches students to make a difference

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 08:18:38 EST

Students in Penn State Greater Allegheny�s Psychology 479 (Psychology of Gender) course recently learned how they can help address a global problem related to gender. The class, taught by associate professor Elizabeth Mazur, first wrote persuasive papers about important social problems related to gender. In the papers, they each identified a gender-related problem such as women�s illiteracy in developing countries, fistulas in African women, international sexual trafficking or gay rights in the United States. They presented arguments for its importance, discussed solutions and argued for a charitable organization as most effective in addressing the problem. Students also researched the organization for financial accountability and transparency.

Students gave three-minute presentations on their chosen topics. They each donated at least $5 to a class-grant fund, which Mazur matched. The class then voted for the organization that they felt had the most convincing action plan for helping its particular issue. The funds, totaling $160, were donated to Camfed (Campaign for Female Education), a non-profit organization that educates girls and supports young women to help tackle poverty in rural sub-Saharan communities. Kimberly Owens, a senior majoring in psychology, said, �Camfed assists girls from their primary schooling years through adulthood with becoming productive members of society. This means they give back to the next generation and thereby create a positive cycle of success.�

The class also voted to submit the donation in honor of Margaret Signorella, director of Academic Affairs and professor of psychology and women's studies, for her contribution to their education on campus, especially in terms of going above and beyond for her students and advisees.

�I chose Dr. Signorella for two reasons; one is her research that focuses on gender stereotyping and single sex education,� Owens said. �The second, my personal reason, is that she has been so encouraging and helpful to me during my time here at Penn State Greater Allegheny. She had confidence in me when I did not. She has been a wonderful influence and the best academic adviser anyone could possibly have. I have no doubt that she has had similar influence on other students and she should she should be recognized for her dedication.�

Mazur said, �The students� reactions to the grant assignment, especially to the oral presentation competition, were very positive. Students were excited that the class would actually help address a problem related to women or gender.� Many students commented that the assignment opened their eyes to areas of the world and types of oppression of which they had previously been unaware.

Annual Blue and White Scholarship Luncheon to feature young alums

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 08:16:25 EST

Penn State Greater Allegheny will host its annual Blue and White Scholarship Luncheon on Sunday, January 20. The event brings together donors with incoming scholarship recipients and their families. Two recent alumni, who started their Penn State careers at Greater Allegheny and who were Blue and White scholarship recipients, will be the featured speakers at the event.

Marie Popovich (December 2012 graduate) who will begin a position with Price Waterhouse Coopers as an international accountant on the 21st of January will offer her perspective on preparing for a career. Marie had the opportunity to prepare for this position while studying abroad in England. Matthew Boyko, Class of 2010, is an engineer for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Matt, who was a member of the Blue Band while at University Park, always likes to share his story of the Penn State network in action. When he went for his interview with PennDot, he met with a panel of 3 interviewers; 2 of whom were Penn State engineering graduates.

Lou Anne Caligiuri, director of admissions and financial aid, reports that this event is especially meaningful as it brings all constituencies of the Greater Allegheny community together to honor some outstanding entering students. "With donors and alumni, as well as faculty, staff, and current students joining in the celebration, our new students and their families have the opportunity to really experience the community that is Greater Allegheny."

High school seniors, "Be a Penn State Student for a Day"

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 19:01:13 EST

Penn State Greater Allegheny admissions department will hold a special event for prospective students called "Be a Penn State Student for a Day." High school seniors are encouraged to live the life of a Penn Stater for a day. Students will shadow a current Penn State student as they attend a college class, tour the campus, and eat lunch in the dining hall. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., meeting in the Frable Building, Room 119. Students must register in advance and may choose between two dates: Jan. 29 or Feb. 5.

The event will be held in the Frable Building, located on the Penn State Greater Allegheny campus at 4000 University Drive, McKeesport, Pa.

For more information or to register, call (412) 675-9010 or email psuga@psu.edu

Greater Allegheny graduates honored at fall commencement

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 08:27:22 EST

Penn State Greater Allegheny conducted its fall 2012 commencement on Dec. 20 in the Wunderely Gymnasium. Chancellor Curtiss E. Porter conferred degrees on the graduates. Keynote speaker was Dara Ware Allen, PhD, Chief Operating Officer of Leadership Pittsburgh (LPI).