View Fall 2006 Final Exam Schedule

Penn State York’s THON-A-Palooza, Nov. 10 and 11, a 24-hour benefit event, raised $3,493 for the Four Diamonds Fund for children with cancer at Penn State’s Hershey Medical Center. The proceeds from the event will go toward the totals for York’s THON dancers who head to University Park in February to compete in THON, the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, which has raised more than $40 million in the past 30 years for children with cancer. THON is set for Feb. 16 – 18, 2007, at the Bryce Jordan Center.

View photo gallery of the event

Students from several area high schools, Lancaster Academy, YTI, and HACC participated in the event that included games, bands, food, and fun. Maddie Hill, 9, Penn State York’s THON child, and her family, from Dover, Pennsylvania, took part in the event Friday night. Hill has been diagnosed with lymphobastic lymphoma, and is undergoing aggressive chemotherapy at Hershey Medical Center through October 2007. Her cancer is currently in remission.

Anyone interested in contributing to the local campus’ efforts for THON can send checks made payable to Penn State Dance Marathon to THON, Penn State York, 1031 Edgecomb Ave., York, PA 17403. All money collected will go to help children with cancer.

Instrumental guitarist and composer Dominic Gaudious will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, at Penn State York's Pullo Family Performing Arts Center. The program, sponsored by Penn State York and the York Newspaper Co., is free to the public.

After successfully releasing two albums and touring with an eclectic rock band in the 1980s, Gaudious found his passion in the contemplative world of classical/world beat music. Working mainly with six- and 12-string acoustic guitars and incorporating exotic instruments such as the Australian didgeridoo, Gaudious created a unique playing style which blends the sounds of classical, jazz, Flamenco, folk and world beat.

Gaudious has performed at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, the Australian Embassy, Montreux Music Festival, for National Geographic, opened for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and appeared with Acoustic Alchemy, The Rippingtons and guitarists such as Pierre Bensusan and Adrian Legg. Most recently, his music has been featured on National Public Radio, he has toured Japan, appeared with Pat Benatar, Kip Winger, appeared on FOX TV's "30 Seconds to Fame" and performed for John Petrucci, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai.

Penn State York students, faculty, and staff have raised enough money for one water buffalo and are on their way to two thanks to the efforts of the Student Government Association (SGA) and Ann Fetterman, instructor in English and the point person for volunteer activities on campus. Fetterman approached the SGA several weeks ago about going global with service projects and getting involved with the Heifer Project, an international organization which helps hungry families feed themselves. Heifer International’s mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth. This simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief caught on and has continued for more than 60 years.

Penn State York’s fundraising activities have included selling scoops of ice cream and animal crackers at the noon hour, selling pins with photos of animals on them such as Love a Llama, and just collecting general donations.

The money gathered so far ($379 as of Friday, Nov. 10) will go toward the Lusime Women’s Draft Cattle Project in Zambia. The goal of this project is to provide 20 women and their families with 43 draft cattle and training to improve household food security and income through sustainable animal management. The campus is hoping to reach $500 to provide two animals.

If you’d like to donate to the project, cash or checks can be dropped off in the Bursar’s office, Penn State Bookstore. Student Affairs Office, or the Lee R. Glatfelter Library. Sales of animal crackers, pins, and animal photos will continue next week on Nov. 15 and 16 at noon outside the Lion’s Den in the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center. at the campus. Help Penn State York help others to feed themselves.

Fetterman has organized many campus service projects including Habitat for Humanity Days, collecting peanut butter and jelly for the Salvation Army, and gathering groups to work at Our Daily Bread. Penn State York students, faculty, and staff contribute to the community throughout the year.

The plays are free to students and $5 for non-students.

Is diversity valued?  What does it mean to say we value diversity?  Dr. Jacqueline Martinez, associate professor of communication at Arizona State University, will help answer these questions when she shares her work during a presentation on Thursday, Nov. 9, 12:00 - 1:15 p.m., at Penn State York.  Can Diversity,  as a "Value," be embodied?   A Phenomenological Interrogation of U.S. American Culture, is presented as part of the Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS) lecture series at noon in the Community Room of the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center.   The program is free and open to the public.
 
Martinez will share her research and answer questions during the presentation.  Her research focuses on communication as it mediates the relationship among individual experience, social practices, and cultural histories.   Martinez is an affiliate faculty member with the School of Justice and Social Inquiry, the Asian Pacific American Studies Department, and the Women and Gender Studies Program at Arizona State University, Tempe Campus.   Her most recent publication is "Semiotic Phenomenology and Intercultural Communication Scholarship:  Meeting the Challenge of Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Difference," which appears in the October 2006 Western Journal of Communication.
 
This presentation is sponsored by the Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS) program at Penn State York and the CAS Club.

Penn State York's Pullo Family Performing Arts Center is privileged to have been selected as the rehearsal venue and tour premiere for The Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker.  The Great Russian Nutcracker is set for Wednesday, Nov. 8 and Friday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m.  Students from local dance companies will have the opportunity to take part in the show.  The Moscow Ballet will perform the Great Russian Nutcracker in 70 cities during its fourteenth annual holiday tour of the United States.

Artistic Director Anatoli Emelianov, a ten-year veteran of the Moscow Ballet and its chief choreographer, will star as the Enchanted Nutcracker Prince. Moscow Ballet's all-Russian casts have won rave reviews for exquisite dancing and finely honed classical technique. With Valentin Fedorov's stunning sets and costumes, and larger- than-life puppets, the Great Russian Nutcracker is the must-see production of 2006.  For information on the company, visit http://www.nutcracker.com/. 

Tickets are $35, $45, and $65.  For tickets and information on the variety of free and ticketed programs available at the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center, visit http://www.pullocenter.psu.edu/ or call (717) 505-8900. Tickets also may be purchased at http://www.ticketweb.com/ online. Penn State York students may receive a $10 discount by purchasing tickets from the Bursar's Office in 121 Main Classroom Building and showing their student ID. 

The work of York County artist Fred Haag entitled "Recent Paintings and Drawings" will be on public exhibit in the Morrison Gallery of Penn State Harrisburg's library October 27 through December 22.  A public reception for the artist and gallery talk will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2.  The exhibit is free and open to the public.  Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.  

An associate professor of visual arts at Penn State York, Haag explains, "My drawing and painting is tied to my immediate surroundings and personal experiences, hence it is autobiographical. The subject and technique is apt to change quite drastically depending upon changes in my life or in my environment."

His work "focuses upon the technical integration of found objects, observed situations, drawing media, and paint with an open approach to discovering what the form needs." Haag is currently working on a series of figure paintings and on a separate series of drawing narratives in pen and ink.

Haag was raised in Pennsylvania and attended the University of the Arts (the Philadelphia College of Art) in Philadelphia, where he graduated with honors in 1984 with a bachelor of fine art in painting and drawing. He went on to earn a master of fine art in painting and drawing from Penn State. Since 1987, he has taught a variety of classes at Penn State York, including art appreciation, drawing, design, and painting.  He is the adviser for the campus Visual Arts Club and each year takes students to the National Gallery as part of his class.  He also provides students the opportunity to work on T-shirt designs for the campus' Unity Day celebration each April.
 
In addition to numerous awards for his art work, Haag was the 2003 recipient of the James H. Burness Award for Excellence in Teaching at Penn State York and in 2002 was named the recipient of the Penn State York Advising award, for his outstanding advising work with students.
 
Exhibits of his work include the Art of the State in Harrisburg, the National Midyear show at the Butler Institute of American Art, the Washington and Jefferson College National Painting Show, the annual Maine-Maritime Flatworks Exhibition in Presque Isle, the River Walk Arts Festival in York, Chowan College in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, First Street Gallery in New York City, and the Three Rivers Arts Festival in Pittsburgh.

Haag and his wife, Marcy, reside on a small farm in York County.

Local high school and college students will be putting on their dancing shoes Nov. 10 and 11 at Penn State York when the 24-hour THON-A-Palooza gets started at 4 p.m. in the Lion's Den of the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center.  The goal is to dance/stay on your feet until 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon, 24-hours, and raise money for children with cancer. This event is a mini version of the famous THON, the 48-hour dance marathon held each February in State College. 

The photo on the right shows Maddie Hill, York's THON child, showing off her Twister skills during last year's local fundraising event.
 
In order to dance in the York THON-A-Palooza, dancers must raise $50. There's still time to register to be a participant. "All money raised will go to THON, the dance marathon at University Park, and go to help children with cancer through the Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center," said George Kapterian, a Penn State York student and one of the organizers of the event.   Kapterian has danced twice in THON at University Park and completed the 48-hour feat, "for the kids."  
 
York's smaller event includes a carnival like atmosphere complete with live bands games, prizes, face painting, and more.  Games include "mega" Twister, Dance Dance Revolution, and others.  Bands scheduled to play include Beautiful Disaster, Rosematter, Dear Stardom, The Secrecy, Suburban Sound, Le Baron, Elyon?s Fire, King's Foil, Fooling April, and Penn State York's own John McLucas with an acoustic set.
 
For more information on Penn State York's THON-A-Palooza, call George Kapterian at 840-1821 or contact him via e-mail at gak159@psu.edu or Swara Shah at sbs188@psu.edu.
 
THON is a 31-year tradition at Penn State and has raised more than $30 million for children with cancer.  THON is set for Feb.16 - 18, 2007, at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College. 

Tickets are on sale now for the Oct. 25 performance of "Man of La Mancha," the Broadway traveling show, at Penn State York's Pullo Family Performing Arts Center. This five-time Tony Award-winning production tells the centuries-old tale of Don Quixote. The musical, based on the book, "Don Quixote," by Miguel de Cervantes, features a variety of memorable songs including "The Impossible Dream." Tickets for "Man of La Mancha" are $44 and $55.

For tickets and information on the variety of free and ticketed programs available at the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center, visit http://www.pullocenter.psu.edu/ or call (717) 505-8900. Tickets also may be purchased at ticketweb.com. Students may receive a $10 discount through the Penn State York Student Activity Fee Committee. To receive this subsidy students should purchase tickets from the Bursar's Office in 121 Main Classroom Building and show their student ID.

Through a recently signed agreement between Penn State and Vidyalankar School of Information Technology in India, students from India will take part in a program that combines their first two years of university education in India with their final two years at Penn State York. This new 2 + 2 program is a historic first step in preparing students to work in an international marketplace. The agreement signing took place at University Park on Sept. 20. A variety of University officials from both institutions were present. 

"This program will not only increase the number of international students at Penn State York, it will give our students the opportunity to work alongside future colleagues in the fields of information sciences and technology and to prepare themselves for careers in the global economy of the 21st century," said Joel M. Rodney, chancellor of Penn State York. "I'm looking forward to developing similar programs with universities in other countries."

The Vidyalankar School of Information Technology is affiliated with The University of Mumbai in India. Students will enroll at Vidyalankar in a pre-approved series of courses which parallel Penn State's information sciences and technology curriculum. Satisfactory completion of this specific program will enable students to apply, transfer to, and enroll at Penn State York for the completion of their bachelor of science degree in information sciences and technology (IST). The agreement states that once a candidate has completed the required course work in India, an academic record will be sent to the Chancellor's Office at Penn State York by Jan. 15 of each year. Candidates will then complete the Penn State application online and meet the other requirements just as any other international student. Once their course work at Penn State York is complete, students receive a Penn State degree.

The first students are expected at Penn State York in the fall of 2008. A maximum of 10 students will be accepted the first year with a maximum of 25 students in future years.

The agreement was signed by Penn State officials Robert N. Pangborn, vice president and dean for undergraduate education; John J. Romano, vice president for commonwealth campuses; Joel M. Rodney, chancellor of Penn State York; Henry C. Foley, interim dean of the college of information sciences and technology; Joseph J. Doncsecz, assistant treasurer. Officials from India signing the agreement were Sanjeewani Deshpande, chairperson, Vidyalankar Dnyanapeeth Trust; Vishwas Deshpande, managing trustee, the Vidyalankar Dnyanapeeth Trust; and Ravindra Nadkarni, dean of academic instruction, Vidyalankar Dnyanapeeth Trust.

This is not Penn State York's first connection with India. Penn State York students, faculty, and staff traveled to India in May. The India trip was an outgrowth of an Information Sciences and Technology course (IST 440W) taught by Samir Shah, instructor in information sciences and technology at Penn State York. This collaborative class project conducted between Penn State York students and The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, India, (M.S. University) students. The project was sponsored by Unisys - a worldwide information technology consulting services and solutions company. Although 9,000 miles apart, students from both universities completed real world projects for the company. In addition to the classroom work, students enjoyed many cultural experiences and became more familiar with customs and life in India. The plan is to continue these experiences in the future.

Penn State York's free cultural and performing artists' series continues Thursday, Sept. 28 with Philadelphia's The Blue Method at 8 p.m. in the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center. The series is sponsored by the campus and the York Newspaper Company.

The Blue Method brings together the sounds of old school and douses them with a modern influence of fusion, funk, and experimental rock, blending them together into something they like to call "Power Soul."  The band strives to make each and every person in the crowd move to the sounds they lay down from deep thumping funk to smooth grooving soul.  The Blue Method has played at venues from the high profile festival performance at the Green Apple Music Festival in New York City, Jam on the River in Philly to tour dates spread out across the country.

This five-piece band has had the opportunity to share the stage with such acts as Chick Corea, John Legend, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, The Disco Biscuits, Soulive, The New Deal, The Duo, Oteil Burbridge (of The Allman Brothers Band), Drive By Truckers, Ozomatli, Railroad Earth, Little Feat, and Amos Lee to name a few.

Energized by a return to the studio after their 2004 release "Kill the Music:  Volume 1," a victory in the 2005 Relix JamOff, their addition to The Home Grown Music Network and subsequently being named "Best New Home Grown Band of 2005, "The Blue Method promises an amazing live performance.

Tickets are on sale now for country star Tracy Lawrence's concert in York Saturday, Nov. 11 at Penn State York's Pullo Family Performing Arts Center.  The concert gets under way at 8 p.m in the campus' state-of-the-art facility.   Lawrence, considered one of the premiere voices of his generation, has built one of the most respected careers in recent country history.  He has posted more No. 1 Billboard country singles than greats like Glen Campbell, Keith Whitley, Ernest Tubb, Wynonna or Barbara Mandrell, to name just a few; more top 5's than Shania Twain, Faith Hill or The Judds; and more Top 10's than Ricky Skaggs, Charlie Rich, John Michael Montgomery or Dwight Yoakam.
 
Tickets, which cost $35 and $28, can be purchased by calling (717) 505-8900 or (866) 468-7619 or at ticketweb.com.  Check out other performances at Penn State York's Pullo Family Performing Arts Center by visiting http://www.pullocenter.psu.edu/. Learn more about Lawrence by visiting http://www.tracylawrence.com/

Penn State York students who traveled to India in May will share their cultural experiences during a presentation on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at noon in room 107 ISTC at the campus The program is free and open to the public. Students will show photos and discuss their recent academic trip abroad. The India trip was an outgrowth of an Information Sciences and Technology course (IST 440W ) collaborative class project conducted between Penn State York students and The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, India, (M.S. University) students. The project was sponsored by Unisys - a worldwide information technology consulting services and solutions company. Although 9,000 miles apart, students from both universities completed real world projects for the company. Learn more about the students' exciting trip to India by attending this presentation. Check out a few photos at http://www.yk.psu.edu/india.htm

Penn State York's new literary E-zine, Any Other Word, an online magazine, is accepting submissions for consideration in its first publication this fall.  Any Other Word is a creative outlet for members of the Penn State York student body and was created to showcase students' talents and unite artistic minds.

Julie Cassel, a junior at Penn State York majoring in communication arts and sciences, is the founder of the magazine and Noel Sloboda, Ph.D., instructor in English, is the adviser for the publication.

Any Other Word will publish short stories and poetry pieces that have been selected by a board of directors who will read all submissions and make selections.  The student adviser has the final say on what is published.  The publication takes its name from the quote by William Shakespeare, "What's in a name?  That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet."

The magazine will post one issue per semester with the first publication slated for Nov. 1.    For more details on how to submit writing for consideration, please visit the Web site at www2.yk.psu.edu/anyotherword/ or contact Cassel at jac625@psu.edu or Sloboda at njs16@psu.edu.   All submissions are to be made electronically.

The first York County Education Summit set to  kick-off on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. at The York Expo Center, Memorial Hall East.  Joan Benso, President, PA Partnerships for Children, will set the stage for the summit in her presentation, The Education of York County Children:  How We Stack Up?

The two-day summit continues on Friday, Oct. 27 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Pennsylvania Governor Edward G.  Rendell has been invited to give opening remarks.  The morning session continues with speakers on issues related to school funding and possible solutions to the school funding dilemma.  Dr. G. Terry Madonna, executive director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College, will serve as the moderator for the morning presentations and audience discussion.   The afternoon session, hosted by Ron Martin, WGAL television co-anchor, will provide participants the opportunity to engage in round table discussion on School Consolidation:  Why or Why Not?

The issues facing our community are not easily solvable and our summit speakers will frame just how complex the issues are, said Emilie Lonardi, superintendent, West York Area School District and co-chair for the Education Summit steering committee.  This summit will begin to allow for informed discussion about important issues relative to York County.  We hope that we come out of the summit with some next steps on how to improve education in York County.  Lonardi and Beth Gill-MacDonald, coordinator of the Community University Partnership (CUP) at Penn State York, are co-chairs of the summit.

 The summit is free and open to the public.  Parents, community members, educators, business leaders, school administrators, school board members, and everyone who cares about the future of public education in York County is invited to attend.  All participants must pre-register online at http://www.yk.psu.edu/ or call (717) 771-4067 by October 20.   

Coordinating an all-county education summit was named one of YorkCounts 30 Ready Solutions in February 2004.  In March 2005, Penn State York formed a compact with YorkCounts to develop and coordinate a county-wide education summit, with York College of Pennsylvania partnering to convene and launch the project.  The 20-member summit steering committee has been meeting since last fall to plan the summit.

If you would like more information about the summit or you cannot register online, please call Penn State York at (717) 771-4067.

Penn State York is among a number of sponsors and is offering a blue and white motif for the Lion’s Den café. The show hours are Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the 98.5 Peak – York Daily Record/Sunday News Women’s Show, call 717-637-3831 or visit online at www.thepeak98.5.com.

Those interested in participating the work day should contact Ann Fetterman at axf25@psu.edu via e-mail. Fetterman leads the campus' community service efforts. A work day is scheduled for 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at Our Daily Bread soup kitchen. Last year the campus collected several hundred pounds of peanut butter and jelly for the Salvation Army, worked at Habitat for Humanity several days, helped clean up the Codorus Creek, helped clean up Camp Pennwood, collected backpacks and school supplies for the York Homeless Student Initiative, collected books for a community organization and worked at Our Daily Bread soup kitchen.

Man of La Mancha opens the Broadway series on Oct. 25.   This five-time, Tony Award-winning production reigns as the original "quest" musical and takes to the Pullo Center stage at 8 p.m.  The centuries-old tale of Don Quixote has been told many different ways and the lights, costumes, dancing and music of this production are spectacular.   Tickets are $44 and $55.
 
The season continues on Oct 27 with The Ghost Whisperer, Mary Ann Winkowski.   Winkowski, the inspiration behind the CBS hit television show The Ghost Whisperer featuring Jennifer Love Hewitt, will share her experiences and her earliest memories of talking to spirits of the deceased as if they were living people.  Her reputation has spread and she has appeared in numerous television and radio news programs, and has spoken at countless lectures.   In 2000, Winkowski published her first book of memoirs, As Alive, So Dead, which is now in its third printing.  Tickets are $12.   Penn State York students with an ID attend free.
 
The Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker is set for Nov. 8 and 10 and The Pullo Center has the privilege of being named the rehearsal venue and tour premiere for the national tour.  The Moscow Ballet will perform The Great Russian Nutcracker in 70 cities during its fourteenth annual holiday tour of the United States.  Anatoli Emelia, artistic director, chief choreographer, and a 10-year veteran of the Moscow Ballet will star as the Enchanted Nutcracker Prince.  With Valentin Fedorov's sets and costumes and larger-than-life puppets, the Great Russian Nutcracker is the must-see production of 2006.  Students from local dance studios will have the opportunity to take part in the show.  Tickets are $65, $45, and $35.
 
Free programming continues with Dominic Gaudious, instrumental guitarist, Nov. 14; Barynya, Russian Folk Dancers, Jan. 25, 2007; and E-Baby, a poet who paints pictures with words, Feb. 8.
 
Three performances of Clifford the Big Red Dog, Live! are set for February.  For more than 40 years, Scholastic's Clifford The Big Red Dog has charmed and amazed children with his engaging adventures and big ideas.   This performance brings the characters of Birdwell Island to life in a fun-filled spectacle for the whole family. Performances are Feb. 16 and Feb. 17, (two shows).  Tickets are $18 and $25.
 
LeCount Holmes as Frederick Douglass: The Man, performs on Feb 23 in the Community Room of the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center on campus as part of a the free series and Harry O'Donoghue, Irish folk singer, brings his storytelling and folk singing to the Pullo Center on March 29.
 
The 90-minute dreamscape, Cirque Dreams, jungle fantasy, does a single show performance on April 6.  An international cast of acrobats, contortionists and aerialists perform a multimillion-dollar, ultraviolet stage in some if the most amazing feats and performances ever witnessed.  The Raleigh News says, "Cirque Dreams is jaw-dropping and flawlessly executed".   This show is sponsored by Sovereign Bank.   Tickets ate $59 and $49.
 
The Pullo's season closes with the biggest Tony Award-winner in Broad way history, The Producers.  This is the first ever area appearance of the new Mel Brooks musical.  Five-time Tony Award-winner Susan Stroman directs and choreographs the show.   Tickets are $66 and $55.
 
For more information about The Pullo Family Performing Arts Center's season or to order tickets, visit http://www.pullocenter.psu.edu/ or call  717-505-8900.  The Pullo Center is a state-of-the-art, 1,016-seat theatre, with full production capabilities and audience amenities offering the best features of large theatres in an intimate setting.
 
Sponsors for The Pullo Family Performing Arts Center are WHP CBS-21, Sovereign Bank, The York Newspaper Company, and Heritage Hills, Golf Resort and Conference Center.

Matthew P. Hoch, assistant professor of biology at Penn State York, has received the 2006 Watershed Stewardship Award from the York County Conservation District (YCCD).   Hoch received the award earlier this month.   Each year the YCCD recognizes individuals and groups who demonstrate support for the conservation of York County and who serve as stewards of its natural resources.

Matt Hoch, assistant professor of biology at Penn State York, right, accepted his award from the York County Conservation District during a ceremony on August 1 (see picture on right).  
 
Hoch joined the Penn State York faculty in January 2002 and since that time has earned a reputation for his outstanding work in water conservation.  In addition to the variety of courses he teaches at the campus, Hoch is well-known in the area for his work on the Codorus Creek Restoration Efficacy Program (CCREP) at Penn State York and his commitment to educating the public about the importance of watersheds.   The CCREP, in partnership with local watershed organizations and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, is assessing the outcome of stream restoration efforts on aquatic ecosystem health and water quality in the Codorus Creek Watershed, York County, in southcentral Pennsylvania.   Hoch involves students in these research efforts and provides hands-on experience to them.
 
He has conducted a watershed academy for middle school students and their teachers to learn fundamental concepts of watershed ecology using inquiry based activities and experimental learning.  He has also taught watershed hydrology lessons for high school students, and continues to provide learning opportunities for students of all ages.   He is the founder of the Penn State York Science and Technology Seminar Series and was instrumental in planning and implementing Earth Day activities on campus and throughout the county.
 
Prior to taking the position in York, Hoch spent nearly five years developing a research-focused undergraduate biology program and teaching microbial ecology at Malaspina University - College in British Columbia, Canada, where he served as a biology department chair and university-college professor.
 
Hoch received his Ph.D. in marine biology/biochemistry from the University of Delaware in 1991.  He earned a B.A. with distinction in biology from the University of Colorado in 1985.
 
He has served on the Watershed Alliance of York Board of Directors and as the Technical Advisory Committee Chairman.  He has been a peer reviewer for articles submitted to two international journals, Aquatic Microbial Ecology and Limnology and Oceanography.  He is a member of the Codorus Creek Improvement Partnership, the American Society of Microbiology, and the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography.

John W. Dawson, Ph.D., professor of mathematics at Penn State York has retired after 34 years of service to the University.  Dawson retired effective June 30.  He has been honored with Emeritus status.
 
Dawson joined the Penn State faculty in 1972 after completing his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan.   He came to Penn State York in 1975 as an assistant professor of mathematics and was promoted to full professor in 1985.  Dawson earned outstanding evaluations throughout the years from both students and peers. 
 
He was honored in April with the James H. Burness Award for Excellence in Teaching given to an outstanding full-time faculty member based on nominations by students and other members of the campus community.  The award is named in honor of the late James H. Burness, in recognition of his outstanding teaching and service to the campus.  He taught the full range of undergraduate courses available and initiated Math 35, general view of mathematics at Penn State York.  In 1984 he taught one of the earliest honors sections offered at the campus in any discipline.
 
An internationally recognized authority on the life and work of Kurt Gödel, Dawson is the author of Logical Dilemmas, The Life and Work of Kurt Gödel, the definitive biography of this logician and philosopher. The book, published in 1997, has been translated into German, and some of Dawson's papers have been translated into Bulgarian, Czech, Italian, and Japanese.
 
 During the years 1982 to 1984 Dawson catalogued Gödel's papers at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, and he has served as the co-editor of Gödel's Collected Works since the inception of that ongoing editorial project.  He has lectured aspects of Gödel's work at international conferences in Salzburg, Austria; Druzhba, Bulgaria; Paris, France; and Uppsala, Sweden.  Dawson is the author of numerous articles on axiomatic set theory and the history of modern logic. 
 
Dawson is also an accomplished flutist and an expert on mushrooms.   He resides in York with his wife, Cheryl.

New students and their families will receive their official welcome to campus during Penn State York's eighth annual convocation set for Thursday, Aug. 31, at 4:30 p.m. in the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center. The program includes welcoming remarks from the chancellor, student government president, faculty, and staff.   

Following the opening ceremonies, students and their families will meet with faculty advisers and then gather for a campuswide picnic.  Last year more than 800 students and their families took part in convocation.
    
This program is the final phase of orientation and provides new students and their families the opportunity to get to know faculty and staff at the campus.  Day and evening credit classes begin Tuesday, September 5.   Noncredit programs begin throughout the semester.   Check out Penn State York on the Web at http://www.yk.psu.edu/ or call the campus at (717) 771-4000.

Through interactive exercises, students will discover how to spend less time but learn more studying a textbook using the "SQ4R" method, the do's and don'ts of note-taking, and how to become a more effective and productive students. The program includes the booklet "Improving Your Study Skills."

Cora Dzubak, director of Penn State York's accredited Learning Center, is the course instructor. Dzubak will cover topics including learning styles, time-management, textbook usage, test-taking strategies, study skills and a variety of other topics designed to help students learn.

Cost for the course is $50. For more information, call (717) 771-4050 or visit the Web at http://ce.yk.psu.edu and go to programs for youth.

Discover how you can begin or continue your education at Penn State York's Adult Student Open House and Registration Nights set for Tuesday, July 25, from 5 - 7 p.m. at the campus and Wednesday, July 26, from 5 - 7 p.m. at the Loretta Claiborne Building, 605 S. George Street.   The program, at either location, is free and open to the public. Learn about Penn State York's graduate and undergraduate degree programs, credit certificates, workforce education, noncredit certificates, and variety of services for adults.  If you're working toward career advancement, making plans to re-enter the workforce, or are just interested in your own personal development, Penn State York can help. 

Learn about Penn State York's credit certificate programs in areas such as Business Administration, Business Management, Supervisory Management, Administrative Secretaries or Human Resource Management; or consider professional development programs in Purchasing Management, Human Resource Management, or Business Logistics. Explore technical certificate offerings from Electro/Mechanical Troubleshooting to Quality Engineering Methods and Management or Quality Auditing.      

Interested in expanding your computer skills? Penn State York offers a wide range of computer programs to meet the needs of the novice or someone with extensive computer knowledge.  There's also an opportunity to learn a new language by enrolling in a conversational language program in Mandarin Chinese, French, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, German, or Russian. 

Explore the many programs that Penn State York has to offer and plan to attend the Adult Student Open House and Registration Nights.  Plan to share some light refreshments, talk with campus representatives, and consider the possibilities. Those who attend can register to win two Penn State football tickets or tickets to Man of La Mancha, the Broadway traveling show, at the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center on October 25 at 8 p.m  at the campus.

Please call (717) 771-4067 to reserve your space.  Registration is preferred but not required. Visit Penn State York on the Web at http://www.yk.psu.edu/ or continuing education at http://ce.yk.psu.edu/, and learn how the lion roars in York.

I AM LOVED. . .  that's what the mini Pennsylvania license plate reads on Haley Turner's motorized car that four engineering students at Penn State York delivered to her Mountville home last week.  Turner, who suffers from cerebral palsy and loves to be outside, can now travel outside in her "kiddie car" that was modified by students as part of an engineering class.

Seuang Xapakdy of Dover, Tom Brungard of West Manchester Township, Sean Wagner of York and Kayle Wherley of Lower Windsor Township, worked on the car as part of their requirements for their senior-level engineering course. The vehicle is radio-controlled, and the controls are engineered so that Haley's grandmother, Sandy Turner, whom she lives with, can operate them.

Sandy Turner contacted Penn State York after she saw a broadcast on the news last year about how students in an engineering class built a radio-controlled cart so a paraplegic man could work in his garden.   She thought that making a radio-controlled car for her granddaughter would be a great project.  Haley suffered a stroke at birth and doctors didn't expect her to live more than a day or two.  She has proven the odds wrong and her family wanted to find a way to let her have fun and be outdoors.  Since Haley can't walk or hold a steering wheel, the vehicle needed to be remote controlled.

The project became a reality thanks to Charles "Chuck" Gaston's EMET 440 class.   Each year Gaston, assistant professor of engineering at York, asks senior level electro-mechanical engineering technology students to team up and select a project to do as part of the course.   Presented with a list of possible projects, the four young men chose this one because it was something that was going to be used day after day and would help a child.  The students converted the battery-powered, scaled-down version of a Cadillac Escalade into a large, radio-controlled car.

To make the car work for Haley and her family, they had to design the electronic controls for the main drive motors, add another motor and a system to control the steering. If another child is driving the car, a parent can use the remote control to override the child. They also adapted a car seat that can safely hold Haley in the vehicle.   Just so her sister doesn't feel left out, the car seat can be removed and replaced with the toy seat that came with the car.

In addition to car shopping with the family for the vehicle, many hours of work on the car, troubleshooting problems, and figuring out glitches in the electronics, the students got to know the Turner family and became attached to Haley as well.

Holly Stoltzfus, Haley's mother, couldn't be happier and sums up her feelings about the students best,  "Everything these guys did is just incredible."

Spend A Summer Evening in July to learn more about Penn State York and discover what the campus has to offer.  Enjoy  a summer evening on July 20, from 6:30 - 9 p.m. and talk with admissions representatives and learn more about financial aid.  After the presentations, take a campus tour and then enjoy light refreshments and University Creamery ice cream, a delicacy Penn State is known for worldwide.

To register or for more information, please call Penn State York Admissions at (717) 771-4040 or 1-800-PSU-6227 or visit the Web at http://www.yk.psu.edu/Admissions/admevents.htm.

Jason Aldean, one of country music's top rising stars, is set to perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13, in Penn State York's Pullo Family Performing Arts Center. Aldean, best known for his Top 20 singles "Hicktown" and "Why," now number one on country charts, almost gave up on the music business in the summer of 2003 when he was dropped from his record company's roster and his songwriting contract was about to expire. A few months later, Aldean signed with Broken Bow Records and his luck changed. The Georgia native's first recording hit the shelves in July and his country music career has skyrocketed. Tickets, which cost $36 and $27, can be purchased by calling (717) 505-8900 or (866) 468-7619 or at ticketweb.com.  Check out other performances at Penn State York's Pullo Family Perforinmg Arts Center by visiting www.pullocenter.yk.psu.edu.

Forty Penn State York students earned the distinction of Academic All- Conference. This honor is bestowed on those student athletes who have a semester GPA of 3.0 or higher during the semester of competition or a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and completion of at least 24 credits. Recipients in their sports are listed below. Soccer: Joseph M. Abror, York; Cory L. Kite, Red Lion; Philip S. Powers, Lebanon; Kevin J. Shumberger, Wellsville; and Tyler M. Yohe, York. Team tennis: Carlos C. Alejandre, York; Sean C. Breach, York; Prashant K. Chahwala, Palmyra; Bryan L. Group, Lewisberry; Robert V. Hechinger, York; Jason A. May, Dallastown; Katherine F. May, New Freedom; Bhargav N. Modi, York; Allen S. Na, Chester, NJ; Henry N. Ngo, York; Hardik H. Patel, Hanover, and Hoai-Viet Vinh, York. Women’s volleyball: Rachel A. Brenner, York; Alaina C. Leber, York; and Amanda A. Urey, Red Lion. Women’s basketball: Rosina C. Calderone, Thomasville; Brittany M. Green, Dover; Ariane E. Grove, East Berlin; Lindsay A. Kline, Schererville, IN; and Kate M. Musso, York; Men’s basketball: Derek A. Bennett, New Freedom; Jared F. Cook, York; Zachary W. Dinwiddie, Red Lion; Richard Ly, Lancaster; and Derek T. Myers, York Haven. Baseball: Brent B. Berger, New Oxford; Troy D. Bonitz, New Freedom; James R. Cooper, Airville; Justin A Heyne, New Freedom; Ryan W. Liggitt, Windsor; William M. Newton, Glen Rock, PA; Christopher R. Pratt, Willow Street; John S. Simmons, Glen Rock; Danny C. Smith, Red Lion; and Chad W. Thoman, Dallastown.

Most valuable players are: Brittney L. Ilyes, Seven Valleys; and Amanda N. Russell, Glen Rock, women’s volleyball; Clinton A. Kohler, Crofton, MD, and Jennifer M. Shaw, Spring Grove, team tennis; Garrett R. Allison, York, soccer; Tanya R. Myers, Spring Grove, women’s basketball; Derek T. Myers, York Haven, men’s basketball; and Luke T. Keeny, York; baseball.

Earning All-Conference in the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSU-AC) are: Garrett R. Allison, York, soccer; Clinton A. Kohler, Crofton, MD; team tennis; Hardik H. Patel, Hanover, team tennis; Jennifer M. Shaw, Spring Grove, team tennis; Brittney L. Ilyes, Seven Valleys, women’s volleyball; Amanda R. Russell, Glen Rock, women’s volleyball; Derek T. Myers, York Haven, men’s basketball; Tanya R. Myers, Spring Grove, women’s basketball; and Luke T. Keeny, York, baseball.

Derek A. Bennett, New Freedom, and Cody J. Zarilla, Dover, received the Trimmer Award in basketball. This award is named in honor of former Penn State York Basketball Coach Ron Trimmer and is given to the most improved player. Trimmer presented the award to the players. Thong Nguyen, York, received the Broadbent Award given in honor of Bruce Broadbent, Ph.D., former assistant professor of kinesiology at the campus and division head of health and human development at the Commonwealth College. Broadbent was the campus’ first athletic director and worked for more than thirty years to promote the campus’ athletic programs. Tyler M. Yohe, York, received the Christopher C. Miller Sportsmanship Award for soccer. This award is given to an athlete who displays a high level of sportsmanship not only on the soccer field but also in everyday life. The award was established in 2002 to honor the late Christopher C. Miller, the son of former Penn State York Soccer Coach George Miller, who passed away on July 9, 2001 at the age of 16. During his soccer career, Christopher played between 350 and 400 soccer games and never received a yellow or red card for unsportsmanlike play. His love if the game of soccer and outstanding sportsmanship will always be remembered through his award.

Team coaches presented awards to their athletes:

Team Tennis (Head Coach Michael Arnold) First-year awards: Peter M. Bottros, York; Prashant K. Chahwala, Palmyra; Sang Y. Chung, Mechanicsburg; Robert V. Hechinger, York; Marylynn T. Johnson, York; Daniel Keo, York; Clinton A. Kohler, Crofton, MD; Katherine F. May, New Freedom; Jason A. May, Dallastown; Bhargav N. Modi, York; Henry N. Ngo, York; Hardik H. Patel, Hanover; and Hoai-Viet Vinh, York. Second-year awards: Sean C. Breach, York; Bo Jin, Decatur, GA: Carrie L. Matthews, Shrewsbury; Allen S. Na, Chester, NJ; Hung M. Nguyen, Lancaster; and Jennifer M. Shaw, Spring Grove. Third-year awards: Bryan L. Group, Lewisberry; and Prajay A. Patel, Hanover. Fourth-year awards: Carlos C. Alejandre, York.

Soccer (Head Coach Rich Chilcoat, Assistant Coach Tim Brokopp) First-year awards: Joseph M. Abror, York; Nayler D. Abror, York; Samantha J. Allen, York; Garrett R. Allison, York; Leonardo D. Gomez, Dallastown; Ryan C. Harman, Etters; Cory A. Havanas, Dallastown; Lance A. Klahold, Leesport; Thong Nguyen, York; Jennen F. Palm, York; Philip S. Powers, Lebanon; Matthew D. Robinson, Dallastown; and Kevin J. Shumberger, Wellsville. Second-year awards: Christopher D. Douts, Washinton Boro; Benjamin C. Suarez, York; Khoa D. Tran, York; and Berlin Vilfort, York. Third-year awards: Cory L. Kite, Red Lion; Tyler M. Yohe, York.

Women’s Basketball (Head Coach Brent Harvey) First-year awards: Brittany M. Green, Dover; Lindsay A. Kline, Schererville; Kate M. Musso, York; Nicole A. Myers, York; Ciara L. Rossum, York; and Alicia M. Thompson, Red Lion. Second-year awards: Rosina C. Calderone, Thomasville; Mandy L. Ciesluk, Coal Township; Ariane E. Grove, East Berlin; and Tanya R. Myers, Spring Grove.

Men's Basketball (Head Coach Steve Baublitz) First-year awards: Timothy S. Azer, York; Derek A. Bennett, New Freedom; Peter M. Bottros, York; Zachary W. Dinwiddie, Red Lion; Richard Ly, Lancaster; Dave B. Lydner, York; Zachary E. Mann, York; Prince M. Perkiss, York; Dyshan L. Saahir, York; and Cody J. Zarilla, Dover. Second-year awards: Jared F. Cook, York; and Cody L. Correll, York. Fourth-year award: Derek T. Myers, York Haven.

Baseball (Head Coach Dr. Ron Workinger and Assistant Coach Joe Royer) First-year awards: Brent B. Berger, New Oxford; Troy D. Bonitz, New Freedom; Gregory M. Books, Dillsburg; James R. Cooper, Airville; Ivan De La Cruz, York; Travis A. Denison, Three Springs; Justin A. Heyne, New Freedom; Luke T. Keeny, York; Christopher J. Konrad, Dover; Christopher R. Krouse, York; Ryan W. Liggit, Windsor; William M. Newton, Glen Rock; Christopher R. Pratt. Willow Street; Joshua A. Seidenstricker, York; John S. Simmons, Glen Rock; Danny C. Smith, Red Lion; Chad W. Thoman, Dallastown; James L. Thompson, York; Joshua R. Todd, Glenville; Robert A. Whaley, Dover; and Leah L. Vogely, York.

Interactive Storytelling, DNA Detectives, Weather Watchers, Getting "Physical" with Math and Science, the Science of Color in Cosmetics, How Math and Science Help Animals, and It’s Hold Up are just a few of the workshops being offered during the tenth annual program to encourage young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program on Friday, May 5, at Penn State York. Pathways to Your Future: Exploring STEM Careers begins at 9 a.m. in the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center. Registration begins at 8 a.m.

Middle schools girls, their teachers and some parents representing twenty-four school districts and some home schoolers will take part in this career awareness program. (A complete list of the schools participating is attached). More than 325 people will be participating in the free program with registration beginning at 8 a.m. and the program getting under way at 9 a.m.

Pathways to Your Future offers girls the opportunity to explore a variety of job related fields in mathematics, science, engineering, and technology. This free program brings together young women and professional women from academia, medicine, government agencies, business, and industry for a day of workshops and discussion. The program also provides teachers with information to guide young women toward career opportunities in these fields.

In celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the program, special guest Carleen Christner, enterprise integration services portfolio manager at Electronic Data Systems (EDS), will speak at 1:30 p.m. Christner is an information technology consultant architect specializing in enterprise integration. Enterprise integration enables information to be shared across computer networks and application systems. Employing more than 100,000 IT professionals, EDS delivers a broad portfolio of information technology and business process outsourcing services to clients in the manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, communications, energy, transportation, consumer and retail industries, and to governments around the world.

"This is the 10th year of this free program that brings together young women and professional women from academia, medicine, government agencies, business and industry for a day of workshops and discussion," said Suzanne Gladfelter, program coordinator and senior instructor in information sciences and technology at Penn State York. "We hope this program will continue to give young women a better idea of the variety of careers out there using science, technology, engineering and math. We also help it will encourage them to pursue these careers."

Pathways to Your Future: Exploring STEM Careers is sponsored by Penn State York, C.S. Davidson, Inc., the Alice J. Whiteley family, Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology, Penn State Commission for Women, Haas Printing Company, Inc., and a Pullo Family Grant.

For more information, please contact Barbara Dennis at 771-4128.

Penn State York celebrated its 36th annual spring commencement at 6 p.m. Friday, May 12, in the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center at the campus [photos from Penn State Live]. The campus awarded associate and baccalaureate degrees and recognized master's degree graduates during the program.  The ceremony was free and open to the public. The commencement was also televised live on SusCom Cable channel 18.  This was the first time Penn State York's commencement had been televised live.

Robert W. Pullo, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the Way Point/York Federal Foundation, Inc., was the commencement speaker [Read Pullo's full bio].  Now retired from banking after a career spanning 47 years, Pullo is active in the community and is an advocate for the campus.  Pullo has served as chair of the Penn State York Advisory Board and he was also chair of the Grand Destiny Campaign, a campaign which raised nearly $10 million in support of Penn State York.  Pullo has been an advocate for Penn State York for more than 25 years.
 
Most recently, the Pullo family's substantial financial support enabled the campus to complete the construction of the new performing arts center/library/classroom building.   The Pullo Family Performing Arts Center is named in honor of Robert and Donna Pullo and their family's lifelong commitment to education, culture, and the arts.

In 1997, the Pullos established the Pullo Family Fund to encourage Penn State York faculty to engage in innovative technology-based projects that involve collaboration with high school teachers in the region.  The Pullos also established the Pullo Family Technology Center in York's Information Sciences and Technology Center to encourage faculty to become familiar with the latest technology in support of their teaching and research.

In the late 1980s, Pullo played a pivotal role in securing the transfer of 34-acres of wooded property from the City of York to the University.   That transfer not only expanded the physical space of the campus, but eventually became the site of the new Pullo Family Performing Arts Center and the Lee. R. Glatfelter Library.

Earlier this year, Pullo received the 2006 York City Humanitarian Award, the 2006 Volunteer of the Year Good Samaritan Award from the York County Chamber of Commerce,  and will be accorded honorary alumni status at Penn State in University Park on June 2 and 3.

In addition to hearing from Pullo, Penn State York will continue its tradition of the open microphone where graduates can speak for a moment.  The top associate degree, baccalaureate, and master's degree graduates will also say a few words.  A number of former Penn State York students who completed their degree work at an upper-division campus of Penn State will return to their home campus, York, to receive their degrees during the ceremony.

A reception, sponsored by the Penn State York Alumni Society, followed the ceremony in the John T. and Paige S. Smith Atrium and mezzanine areas of the Pullo Center.

Penn State York honored the academic achievements and service of its outstanding students, faculty, and staff for the 2005 – 2006 year during the Thirty-fifth Annual Academic Awards Banquet (Friday, April 21) in the Conference Center of the Main Classroom Building. More than 70 academic and service awards were presented following a 6 p.m. dinner.

Awards were presented by a variety of campus groups and several community organizations including the Rotary Club and the York Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association.Highlights of the program were the presentation of the James H. Burness Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Penn State York Advising Award.  The James H. Burness Award for Excellence in Teaching is given to an outstanding full-time faculty member based on nominations by students and other members of the campus community.  The award is named in honor of the late James H. Burness, in recognition of his outstanding teaching and service to the campus.  Burness died in December 1999.   This year's recipient is John W. Dawson, Ph.D., professor of mathematics. 

Dawson received high praise for his commitment to students and his knowledge of the subject material.   One student wrote, "I believe Dr. Dawson should receive this award.   He is an excellent professor.  He is very enthusiastic about the subject matter in a way that makes me excited to learn it.  He teaches in such a flowing way that it is very easy to learn from him.”   Another student wrote, “I feel that Dr. Dawson is one of the best mathematics instructors that I have had in my three years at Penn State York.   He makes a difficult subject more understandable and is willing to help us when he can.”   Dawson is retiring at the end of the semester after 34 years at the campus.Noel J. Sloboda, instructor in English, was honored as the winner of the Penn State York Advising Award.  The Penn State York Advising Award, given by the campus Academic Affairs Committee, was established several years ago to recognize the importance of advising students.  This committee operates separately from the teaching award committee.  Sloboda received enthusiastic support from advisees who consistently cited his diligence and enthusiasm.   One advisee wrote, “When I contacted Dr. Sloboda, he promptly scheduled a meeting, graciously answered my questions, and enthusiastically provided invaluable information so that I could make an intelligent decision about my future.”   Still another advisee indicated, “He constantly e-mails me or stops if he sees me sitting in a lounge to make sure everything is on track.  If I do have an unresolved problem, he’ll make a call to help resolve it if he doesn’t have the answer.”

The most prestigious student award of the evening, The Eric A. and Josephine Walker Award, was presented to Toanh T. Huynh.   This award is given annually to a full-time student who exhibits outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship.  Each Penn State campus selects a recipient of this award.  Huynh is a junior at Penn State York and her home is in Leola .

The Campus Honors Program provides challenging opportunities for academically superior students.  Students who complete nine credits of honors work are recognized.  Recipients are:  Shafaq Ahmed, York; Carlos C. Alejandre, York; Rick J. Christensen, Spring Grove; Daniel J. Chronister, York; Brian S. Hunt, Spring Grove; James M. Moses, Hanover; Matthew T. Rupp, Dover; Caroline R. Slothour, Manchester; and Virginia C. Slothour, Manchester.

The Evan Pugh Scholar Award is for those juniors and seniors who are in the upper 0.5 percent of their respective classes and have completed at least 48 graded Penn State credits at the end of the fall semester of the academic year the award is given.  Candidates are eligible if they have been full-time undergraduate students for at least four semesters prior to selection.  The Penn State York recipient is Joshua P. Markel, York.

The President's Freshman Award is presented annually to full-time undergraduate students who have earned a 4.0 grade-point average for the first semester of their freshman year of study.  Recipients are:   Michael E. Delp, New Freedom; Katherine F. May, New Freedom; Kelly E. McClure, Red lion; William C. Myers, Manheim; Luke A Peeling, Dover; Kyle D. Smith, York Springs; and Joyce M. Thoman, Glen Rock.

The President Sparks Award is presented annually to those undergraduate candidates who have earned 4.0 (A) cumulative grade-point average based on at least 36 graded Penn State credits completed by the end of the fall semester of the academic year the award is given.  The President Sparks Award recipients are Caroline R. Slothour and Virginia C. Slothour of Manchester.

English Essay Award recipient is Joshua P. Markel, York.  This award recognizes excellence in a critical paper composed for a Penn State York course.

Freshman Press Chemistry Award recipient is Joanne T. Nguyen, York.  This award is presented to a freshman based on outstanding academic achievement in chemistry.

Lambda Pi Eta Award recipients are Kelly J. Bradburn, York, and Molly E. Imler, Hanover.  Lambda Pi Eta Award is the official communication studies honor society of the National Communication Association.

Tutor of the Year Award recipient is Aquila B. Cheaney, East Berlin. This award recognizes the outstanding work of students who provide tutoring services in the Learning Center.

Keystone Honor Society Awards were presented to full- and part-time students with the highest grade-point average at or above a 3.50 GPA in each associate and baccalaureate degree program offered at the campus.  Part-time students meeting the requirements are eligible to receive the award one time in their major.  There are also minimum requirements for the time in the degree.  Honorees for the full-time students are:  Wendy M. Mace-Gieda, Red Lion, and Adam M. McWilliams, Windsor, associate degree in business administration;   Gerald W. Lee, Seven Valleys, associate degree in electrical engineering technology; Melissa C. Plitt, Hanover, associate degree in human development and family studies; Kevin D. Gayle, Marietta, associate degree in information sciences and technology;  Daniel J. Chronister, York; associate degree in letters, arts, and sciences; Jenifer C. Diver, New Freedom, associate degree in mechanical engineering technology; Mark A. Brown, York, and Douglas E. Wilke, York, associate degree in nanofabrication manufacturing technology; Steven R. McBride, Spring Grove, Brooke L. McConnell, Airville, and Charlotte E. Peiffer, Columbia, bachelor of science in business; David B. Fair,  York, and Audra R. Weaver, York, bachelor of arts in communication arts and sciences; Joshua P. Markel, York, bachelor of arts in English; Ann E. Krepps, York, and Brad A. Sizemore, Airville, bachelor of arts in human development and family studies; Shandrian M. Jamison, York,  Peter J. Rowell, Stewartstown, bachelor of arts in information sciences and technology; Sheila E. Geib, New Freedom, and Michael P. Oconnor, New Freedom, bachelor of arts in letters, arts and sciences; and Sharon A. Shoop, Wellsville, Shannon L. Tappen, Wellsville, bachelor of science in science.

 Part-time students who received Keystone Honor Society Awards are:   Debra M. Rider, Red Lion, associate degree in business administration; David L. Calhoun, Hanover, associate degree in electrical engineering technology; Joyce M. Thoman, Glen Rock, associate degree in human development and family studies; Thomas J. Oglesby, York, associate degree in information sciences and technology; Margaret Slothower, Dover, associate degree in letters, arts, and sciences; Keith Glatfelter, York, associate degree in mechanical engineering technology; Anne L. High, Ephrata, and    Patricia A. Merrill, Lititz, bachelor of science in business; Mark A. Cramer, Glen Rock, Bachelor of science in electro-mechanical engineering technology; and  Joseph P. Royer, York, bachelor of science in information sciences and technology

Student Government Association (SGA) Campus Service Awards were presented to George A. Kaperian, York; Laura L. Lamar, York; Karen E. Mc Elwain, Wrightsville; John T. McLucas, Spring Grove; Daniel P. Rupp, Dover; Swara B. Shah, York; and Shannon L. Tappen, Wellsville.  The Student Appreciation Award is given to faculty or staff persons for outstanding service to students.  The recipient was Barbara H. Dennis, Camp Hill, coordinator of community relations and communications at Penn State York.

Community Service Awards were presented to Shafaq Ahmed, York; Shelby L. Bushey, Dover; Karen E. Mc Elwain, Wrightsville; Christopher R. Pratt, Willow Street; Daniel Rupp, Dover; and Justin M. Valentin, Stewartstown.

Shah has more than 13 years of progressive experience in the various dimensions of information technology.  In particular, his simultaneous immersion in academia, public and private sector has provided him with a broad spectrum of the possibilities of successful technological development, management, and integration.  He teaches undergraduate IST courses.  Most of his advanced courses are project-based and designed to bring both local and international experience to students by incorporating "real-world" classroom projects.

Prior to his Penn State appointments, Shah worked for several agencies for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the areas of information technology (IT).  His responsibilities included providing a comprehensive leadership for the development of IT strategic direction; application development, IT policy formulation, and IT project management for the department.

Shah's areas of research interest are in global IT project management and software development.  Shah has published several conference papers and recently co-authored a chapter, "IT and the Agile Government: The Role of IT in Improving the Efficiency of Government Functions".

Shah currently serves on various board and committees including a chairmanship of the IST advisory board at Penn State York.  His professional organization involvement includes Project Management Institute (PMI), Agile Alliance,  Penn State's eBusiness Research Center (eBRC), and Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania.

Shah received the 2005 University-wide faculty award in the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST).  Given annually, the award recognizes outstanding faculty members for their teaching and research and their efforts to foster leaders for the digital, global economy.   He was also named one of the  Penn Staters of the Quarter in 2005 at Penn State York. Shah  applied for and received several grants from various sources to support his teaching and research activities.

Shah has earned his Masters degree in Engineering Sciences from Penn State Harrisburg.  He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Dr. Baljit Kaur of the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, is the featured speaker in Penn State York's Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) speakers' series that kicks-off on Wednesday, April 19 at 7 p.m. at the campus.   The free program, sponsored by Penn State York's Department of HDFS  and the Community University Partnership (CUP), is in the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center and is open to the public.

Kaur will speak about Issues of "Voice" and "Power" in Family-School Relationships with Reference to Diversity.   Based on research in New Zealand, Kaur will focus on the complexity of the relationships among parents, teachers, and children, as these participants struggle for ways to prevail.  She will explore issues of power, voice, authority, and knowledge.

A senior lecturer at the University of Canterbury, Kaur teaches graduate and undergraduate courses.  Her current research projects include home school community partnerships: responses to class, cultural and linguistic diversity; the history of early childhood education in India; and Inside Discovery1:  a collaborative study of quality learning.   She holds a B.Ed.,M.A., M.Ed., and a Ph.D.

For additional information on the speaker, please visit http://www.educ.canterbury.ac.nz/people/kaur.shtml

Unity Day at Penn State York is the culmination of the work of the campus Diversity Committee, which includes students, faculty, and staff.   A variety of multicultural events have been planned throughout the year to provide a forum for the campus and community to learn about diversity.

Students in Fred Haag's design class, art 10, created designs for Unity Day and the campus community selected a T-shirt design from among them.   A design by Rachel L. Weston, a Penn State York sophomore from Shrewsbury, was selected for the shirts. Those participating in Unity Day will wear the specially designed T-shirts. 

Goals for Unity Day include creating teachable moments to learn about diversity and to provide an opportunity for the campus and community to suggest ways Penn State can create a multicultural environment. Unity Day is sponsored in part by the Penn State York Student Government Association and the campus Diversity Committee.

Flags fly at Penn State York representing the homelands of students, faculty and staff almost year round, and symbolize campus pride in the ethnic heritage of our members and our commitment to providing an environment where all opinions are valued and respected.  Unity Day is being celebrated throughout the Penn State system in April. Unity Day is an opportunity to educate, understand, and appreciate the differences between us and also realize we are alike in many ways.                                                                      
                

An exhibit of pastels by Inna Gokhman, Russian artist, opened at 7 p.m. Friday, March 31, in the atrium at Penn State York's Pullo Family Performing Arts Center. The exhibit will be on display from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday through April 20. It is free to the public.

Gokhman's work is being featured at the campus thanks to the efforts of James O'Hara, emeritus faculty member in English at the campus, who is presenting her work.  "Inna is unable to attend," notes O'Hara, "and that's why I am presenting her work. We've talked about arranging a show like this for years, and she's absolutely thrilled that it's happening.

O'Hara met Gokhman and her family back in the early 1980s, when his wife, Ellen, was teaching English as a Second Language to refugees and immigrants from all over the world.  Gokhman and her family lived in York for five years.

Gokhman was born in 1936 in Moscow.  Her schooling started during World War II and when she graduated from high school with honors, she showed enough promise to be accepted as a student at the Moscow Textile Institute.  There she studied drawing, the history of art, and history of costumes.  Her training included classes at the Hermitage Museum in Leningrad (now renamed St. Petersburg) and the Museum of Russian Art.  She received a master's degree in applied arts.

Following graduation she worked as a sports uniform designer for leading Russian sports teams.  One of her designs won top prize at a national competition and was selected to be worn as athletes' parade regalia.  Her professional development was interrupted during the Cold War years when as a housewife and mother she faced the harsh realities of everyday life in a totalitarian regime, trading her pastels and artistic sensibility for laundry detergent and long hours spent standing in lines to buy scarce commodities for her family.  In 1974 she and her family immigrated to the United States, following a brief journey through western Europe.  Gokhman and her family have lived in Miami; York, Pennsylvania; and San Francisco, where they now reside.

In her own words, this is how Gokhman recalls her days in York:  "My five years in York were remarkable for many reasons. We lived in Haines Acres, a beautiful manicured place yet surrounded by shady trees, birds waking me up in the morning and squirrels acting up in front of my kitchen window.   Living in York, located in close proximity to Philadelphia, New York, Washington, and Baltimore, I was able, for the first time in my life in the USA, to visit the best museums, and listen to the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, one of the best in the world.  And who can forget the Mount Gretna jazz festivals!   York itself amazed me with its own cultural life: theaters, concerts (I was lucky to hear the late Harry James there), movie theaters, art exhibits.   In York we also found some of our dearest friends.   When I think of my life there, I think of it as one of the best five years of my life, very content, peaceful and enjoyable."

She retired from her position as a physician's receptionist in San Francisco in 1998, and says she met her retirement "with a great deal of anticipation that I would be able to paint.  And that's what I have been doing ever since, trying to reflect in my landscapes the memory of the beautiful Russian countryside, European travel, and the nature around me."  Her work demonstrates a deep sensitivity to the subtle beauties of quiet places and everyday objects, and evokes a wide range of moods and emotions.

For more information about the exhibit, please contact O'Hara at 846-1407.  A sample of Gokhman's artwork can be viewed on the Internet at http://home.satx.rr.com/gokhman/inna/

Great Jazz Divas
Featuring Davis and Dow
Thursday, March 23, 2006 at 7:00 p.m.
Conference Center

When it comes to musical fireworks, this award winning dynamic duo light up the stage. Davis and Dow tackle jazz and pop standards such as the music of Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, the Beatles, Al Jarreau, and Hendrix with a daring sense of abandon. Julie Davis is a gifted singer with a gorgeous voice; a risk-taker who’s scatting suggests she learned in her bassinet. Kelly Dow plays positively orchestral. His ability to fuse classical, flamenco, rock, blues, and jazz shapes his unique sound. They’ve toured Japan, London, and New York, composed and performed for the TV show “Food Nation with Bobby Flay,” and produced “DIVAS OF JAZZ,” a culturally educational and musically entertaining concert celebrating seven unique singers. Their latest CD, Naked, won Best Jazz Album at the Florida Music Awards, and they were voted Best Jazz Artists by New Times Magazine.

Davis and Dow Web site

Barbie Live in Fairytopia!,™ the elaborate stage production that brings Barbie™ to life in a touring stage show, will come to Penn State York's Pullo Family Performing Arts Center March 28 and 29. Director Eric Schaeffer and Tony-nominated costume designer Gregg Barnes will lead the production team. The production is brought to the stage by Mattel and Live Nation. Performances for Barbie Live in Fairytopia!™ are at 7 p.m. March 28, and at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. March 29. Tickets are $19, $26 and $36 and can be purchased by calling (866) 468-7619 or (717) 505-8900 or at http://ticketweb.com/ online.

"It's great to be working on this new production that will introduce Barbie™ to the theatrical stage," said Schaeffer. "Fairytopia™ will come to life in an exciting three-dimensional production perfect for families everywhere. We've assembled a terrific creative team that promises to make a lasting impression for the long-awaited theatrical debut of Barbie™ ." The York performances will be the first ever for the new production and will follow an extended rehearsal period at the Penn State York facility.

Inspired by the 2005 direct-to-video movie, Barbie Fairytopia,™ the magical theatrical production features an original musical score, beautiful costumes, backdrops and special effects, including flying fairies.

Schaeffer recently directed the Los Angeles production of Disney's "Snow White" and the off-Broadway musical "Under the Bridge." On Broadway, his credits include "Putting It Together," "Big" (first national tour) and "Sweet Adeline." He made his West End debut with The Witches of Eastwick."

Discover what Penn State York has to offer and plan to attend the Spring Open House, Saturday, April 1 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the campus. Activities get started in the campus' new Pullo Family Performing Arts Center lobby.  Take a campus tour, learn about Penn State majors, visit lab facilities, and talk with Penn State’s faculty, staff, and students. There’s also an opportunity to taste Penn State’s famous Creamery ice cream. The program is free and open to the public.

Penn State York now offers nine four-year degrees you can complete in York as well as seven associate degrees and the first two years of more than 160 Penn State majors. There’s also a graduate program, the Focused Master's in Teaching and Curriculum, you can complete in York.  In addition to credit courses, the campus also offers a wide-range of continuing education programs from computer seminars and technical program to summer camps for youth. Whether you’re interested in pursuing a degree or just taking a class or two, Penn State York has day and evening classes to meet your needs.  Plan to discover Penn State York on April 1.  For a complete schedule of events, visit the Web at http://www.yk.psu.edu/Admissions/openhouse.htm

Penn State York's Lady Lions basketball team defeated Penn State Abington 63-54 in Tuesday's (Feb. 28) playoff game at home in the gym in the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center.   It was a Black Out as students, faculty, staff, and other supporters wore black to cheer on the team.  The York team heads to the "final four" championship games at the Bryce Jordan Center on March 3.  Penn State York's Lady Lions won the championship last year for the first time in the history of the campus.

For more information on Penn State York’s eight varsity sports visit
http://www2.yk.psu.edu/currentstudents/studentservices/athletics/ or contact Kerry Magni, Penn State York’s athletic director at 717-771-4036 or e-mail her at kam24@psu.edu.

Kapterian and Miller hope to still be dancing on Sunday, Feb.19, at 7 p.m. when the marathon ends.  Dancers stay on their feet for 48 hours and get just five breaks, each lasting only three minutes.  Kapterian is a graduate of Dallastown High School and Miller is a graduate of Eastern York High School.

So, what are the dancers doing to get prepared to stay awake and dance for 48 hours?  Both Kapterian and Miller are trying to be on a regular sleeping schedule, cutting their sugar and caffeine intake, and trying to eat more healthy foods. Both have been exercising to strengthen  their endurance for the long dance..  Miller boasts he?s been practicing some dance moves that will win the hearts of men, women, and children throughout Rec. Hall.  Next year Thon will be take place in the larger Bryce Jordan Center.

The dancers will get support from students at Penn State York involved with Thon who have worked tirelessly to raise money and get the campus motivated for the big event.  Kapterian, Miller, and a few others will be heading to University Park on Thursday.  The big event gets started Friday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m.

Last year the dancers raised more than $4.1million for the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.  More than $30 million has been raised for kids with cancer since 1973.  For more information on Thon visit www.thon.org

With storytelling and song, booming drums and shaking gourds, the Healing Force takes to the stage at Penn State York's Pullo Family Performing Arts Center on Feb. 23 at 7 p.m.  The program, in celebration of African-American History Month, is free and open to the public. 

The Healing Force shares a rousing celebration of African culture for audiences of all ages. Founded in 1975 by Joseph and Gail Anderson, the group began full-time professional work in 1990. The Healing Force has performed at the National Storytelling Festival, the Bay Area Storytelling Festival, and numerous schools, colleges, festivals, churches, and museums throughout the country.  Joined by son Karim and daughter Sonji, this family offers performances that are fun, inspirational, and unforgettable.  With the rhythms of drums, shekeres, and thumb pianos, this family tells traditional stories from Africa.
 
Don't miss the opportunity to discover The Healing Force. This program is part of Penn State York's cultural and performing artists series sponsored, in part, by the York Newspaper Company.

Faculty and staff should not report until 10:00 a.m. so that the maintenance department can clear the snow from the lots.

For more information visit the Web at http://www.yk.psu.edu/explore/ or call 717-771-4040 or 1-800-776-6227.

The free, 18-hour supervisory training program is for front-line supervisors, group leaders, and lead persons who want to improve their supervisory skills in the healthcare industry. Potential candidates for these positions may also participate in the program. The goal of the program is to improve employee retention in the identified healthcare professions by enhancing the skills of individuals in supervisory positions. The training sessions consist of three, six-hour days of training conducted one day per week over three weeks. Topics to be covered include communication, conflict management and problem solving, human resources, time management, dealing with customers, cultural diversity, coaching/mentoring, dealing with stress, accountability, and the value of lifelong learning/continuing education.

The first training session in York is set to begin March 6 at Penn State York and meets March 13 and 20.Other sessions at Penn State York begin on April 3, May 3, and June 3. York College will offer a session that begins April 5 and meets on April 12 and 19. All sessions are held from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and include lunch and refreshments.

The incumbent worker training grant was presented to the South Central Workforce Investment Board. Five higher education locations in the region and Cornish Associates are partnering to deliver the free “Improving Healthcare through Supervisory Development” training between March and June in Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, Juniata, Lebanon, Perry, and York counties.

In addition to Penn State York and York College, Penn State Harrisburg, Penn State Mont Alto, and Harrisburg Area Community College are the training providers with Cornish & Associates, Inc., developing diversity curriculum.

In announcing the grant, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell said, "The investments we make today are helping secure a better future for Pennsylvania tomorrow and are producing positive results with more jobs in the state than at any time in its history." Seventeen percent of all jobs in the south central region are in healthcare.

Employers and employees who want to learn more about the program in York are encouraged to contact Tracy Brundage-Fisher at Penn State York, 717-771-4105 or e-mail txb137@psu.edu or Leroy Keeney at York College at 717-815-1451 or e-mail lkeeney@ycp.edu. Information is also available on the Web at http://www.hbg.psu.edu/ce/

"My music is for everyone," that's what singer, songwriter Chinua Hawk says about his work.   Chinua will bring his talents to Penn State York's Pullo Family Performing Arts Center on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.   The performance, in celebration of African-American History Month, is free and open to the public.

Based on the inspiration of legendary singers such as Stevie Wonder and Donnie Hathaway, Chinua's lyrics can be defined as mirrors to life experiences.  He clearly creates an edge to the industry terminology, pop, and combines it with good old-fashioned soul.   He's coined the phrase" pop-soul" and made it his niche.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Chinua considers himself a citizen of the world.  He always knew that he was destined to be a singer from the time he sang in church at the Friendship Baptist Church in Trenton, New Jersey.   With the unique ability to express feelings in his music in such a way that listeners will fall into the melody of each note. Chinua's musical prowess is universal.   As he sings, you can't but feel as though Chinua is singing his songs directly to you, from his heart to yours.  In this age of glitz, glamour, and special effects, Chinua is a much needed relief from the gimmicks.

This performance is part of Penn State York Cultural and Performing Artists Series sponsored by the campus and the York Newspaper Company.

Cost for the course is $300 and includes the GMAT Review Book. For more information please contact Bea Landis at Penn State York at 717-771-4192 or bkl1@psu.edu. For more information on Penn State York's wide range of continuing education offerings visit http://ce.yk.psu.edu/ or call 717-771-4067.

In order to dance in the York Mini-Thon, dancers must raise $20. "All money raised will go to Thon, the dance marathon at University Park, and go to help children with cancer through the Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center ," said George Kapterian, a Penn State York student and one of the organizers of the Mini-Thon. Kapterian will also be dancing in the upcoming Thon at State College next month and hopes to once again complete the 48-hour marathon. Kapterian was a dancer in 2005 and completed the dance marathon "for the kids." Isaiah Miller, another Penn State York student, will also represent the campus in Thon next month.

York's smaller event includes a carnival like atmosphere complete with bands playing, games, prizes, a date auction, face painting, and more. Games include "mega" Twister, Dance Dance Revolution and others. Cost per person for an evening of fun is $2.  For more information on Penn State York's Mini-Thon, call George Kapterian at 840-1821 or contact him via e-mail at gak159@psu.edu.

Thon is a 30-year tradition at Penn State and has raised more than $30 million. Thon is set for February 17 -19 in State College.

The Hubble Space Telescope is the topic when Penn State York's Science and Technology Seminar Series continues on Wednesday, April 12 at 4:30 p.m.  The 10-week series, in the Community Room of the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center, is free and open to the public.  Dr. John Woods, NASA, Hubble Space Telescope Program, is the featured speaker.

Penn State York's seminar series was designed to offer Penn State York students, area high school students, and the general public an opportunity to hear nationally recognized speakers on a variety of topics.  The series is cosponsored by the Penn State York Student Activity fee and science, math and engineering faculty at Penn State York. The remaining seminars in the schedule are:

-- April 12: "The Hubble Space Telescope," John Wood, NASA, Hubble Space Telescope Program.

Further details on the upcoming programs can be found at http://www2.yk.psu.edu/~mph13/STSS06 .

View the full listing of MLK events

Millie D’s Bar & Grill was written by Dr. Dorothy E. King, a York native and an adjunct faculty member at Penn State Harrisburg. King is the founder and director of PenOwl Productions, a multicultural theatre company that celebrates diversity through the arts. Featured in the show will be Cassandra Taylor, David Payne, Joy Hymon, and Leonard Washington, members of the ensemble.

Millie D’s (or guess who’s coming to "diner"), set in a roadside restaurant on the Lincoln Highway outside York, explores what happens when a white family accidentally visits a black-owned eating establishment. Tension flares and emotions rise as individuals attempt to deal with distorted beliefs and stereotypes.

The play is infused with humorous moments and the children of those most prejudiced forge a friendship and give their parents a lesson they will not forget.

A playwright, performance poet, and author of eleven short plays, King is also the author of ten full-length dramas, some with music. A graduate of York High, she holds degrees from Temple University and New York University. In 1982, she received an Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

This performance of Millie D's is sponsored by the Penn State York Diversity Committee with support from the campus Student Activity Fee. A reception with King will take place following the performance.