When Penn State Worthington Scranton recently hosted the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) Cross County Championship meet, organizers had no idea it would be a history making day.

On a cold, rainy Saturday, Worthington Scranton’s women’s cross country team captured its third consecutive PSUAC State Championship.
Their victory secured them a spot in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association’s National Championship (USCAA) meet in Concord, NH on November 5 and 6, where they captured second place overall.

Worthington Scranton’s women ran against teams from New Hampshire, Maryland, New Mexico, Maine, Vermont, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, Michigan and Florida.
Freshmen runners Maureen Suchecki (Pittston Area High School and Amber Martin (North Pocono High School) finished 3rd and 6th respectively to earn USCAA All American honors.
At a pre-race banquet held Thursday evening that featured Olympic Gold Medalist and distance running icon Joan Benoit Samuelson as the guest speaker, senior Robin Schafer (Wallenpaupack High School) and junior Justyna Thomas (Western Wayne High School) were named to the USCAA All Academic Cross Country Team for the second consecutive year.

Individual Results on the 6K course were: Maureen Suchecki, 3rd, 24:44; Amber Martin, 6th, 25:05; Amanda Klimasiewfski, 17th, 26:26; Brittany Ostrowski, 23rd, 27:27; Rebecca Kinsey, 24th, 27:28; Justyna Thomas, 31st, 28:46; Diana Kloss, 38th, 30:04; Robin Schafer, 53rd, 31:04; and Sarahjean Seymour, 69th, 34:22.

The men's cross country team, which had finished second in the PSUAC event also competed in the USCAA National Championship meet, finished 7th overall.
Sophomore Chris Meszler (Honesdale High School) was the top finisher for Scranton, covering the 8k course in 29 minutes. Dine College's (New Mexico) and Kenyon native Nick Kipruto was the overall winner, setting a new course record with a time of 25:10.

At the pre-race banquet sophomore Douglas Mallas (Scranton High School), David Moss (Scranton High School) and Patrick Murphy (Abington Heights) were named to the USCAA All Academic Cross Country Team.

Individual men’s results were: Chris Meszler, 12th, 29:00; David Moss, 24th, 29:57; Todd Lucke, 52nd, 32:00; Cody Yedinak, 55th, 32:13; Rich Emiliani, 62nd, 34:03; Michael Bucklaw, 63rd, 34:03; Evan Kussoff, 64th, 34:04; Chris Burke, 73rd, 35:34; Michael Savastano, 74th, 35:44; Paul Devine, 75th, 35:45; Joe Moss, 78th, 36:22; Mike Callahan, 79th, 36:43; Douglas Mallas, 80th, 36:54; Colin Parker, 85th, 38:04; and Patrick Murphy, 91st, 41:21.

“As their coach, I seldom get the opportunity to thank these athletes publicly for their hard work and dedication,” said Coach Gary Edstrom. “But I can tell you that I have never been more proud of a group of athletes. They are an amazing group of young ladies and it has been my honor to have had the privilege to work with them this year.”

Penn State Worthington Scranton recently hosted a special reception for all graduates of its two-year and four-year nursing degree programs.

The reception was held in the campus' Nursing Suite, which has undergone some major renovations and upgrades in recent years.

Attendees enjoyed light refreshments while reconnecting with friends, former classmates and their nursing instructors. They also got the opportunity to meet some current nursing students from the campus' Student Nursing Association, who helped staff the event.

The alumni were welcomed by Dr. Mary-Beth Krogh-Jespersen, and then treated to a special program provided by Nursing Program Coordinator Verna Saleski; campus Director of Development Maria Russoniello, nursing faculty, and Penn State Worthington Scranton Alumni Society president Kathy Zielinski.

Nursing faculty and staff were also on hand to greet alumni, reminisce and provide tours of the suite, as well as a special demonstration of the department's latest addition -- simulated 'patients' that were obtained through funding from the Robert Y. Moffat Family Charitable Trust.

The event was deemed a success by all who attended and served as a fun and easy way to reconnect former students with the campus and all that has been happening at Worthington Scranton since they graduated.

Admissions counselors and staff members will be on hand to provide information on the college application and admissions process, as well as on financial aid opportunities and campus services, including health and career services, the campus' Learning Center, the Division of Undergraduate Services and Student Life/involvement.

After the presentations, program coordinators from all programs of study offered at the campus will be available to meet with those attending and discuss academic requirements, graduation and career opportunities in their respective fields.

For more information or to register to attend, call 570-963-2500 or visit www.ws.psu.edu.

By completing this program, participants will enhance their teaching credentials while helping ESL students improve their English language skills.

The first course begins Jan. 22, with the second course beginning April 9. Classes will take place on various Friday nights and Saturdays.  An additional course will be offered during the last two weeks in July, with the final two courses being held in Fall, 2010 on various weekends.

The five-course, 15-credit program satisfies state certification requirements for ESL teachers and those who earn the course certificate can also apply the earned credits toward Penn State’s master’s degree in teaching English as a second language.

This program is designed for teachers with a Pennsylvania Instructional I or Instructional II certificate and desire to obtain ESL Program Specialist designation, or who wish to take selected courses for professional development in language acquisition skills. It should be noted that Penn State is an Act 48 approved provider.

For more information, or to register, contact Worthington Scranton’s Continuing Education department by calling 963-2600 or visit www.ws.psu.edu/CE.

Dr. Mary Lee Fitzergald, a retired Commissioner of Education for the state of New Jersey,  and member of Penn State Worthington Scranton’s advisory board, has established a new scholarship at the local campus.

The Mary Lee Fitzgerald Annual Scholarship will give consideration to all incoming freshmen undergraduate students planning to enroll at Penn State Worthington Scranton who manifest promise of outstanding academic success and who have financial need.   

This new scholarship will give first preference to students who graduated from Montrose Area High School in Montrose, PA. Second preference will be given to students who graduated from one of the following high schools:  Blue Ridge High School in New Milford, Susquehanna Community High School in Susquehanna, or Mountain View High School in Kingsley.

Dr. Fitzgerald currently resides in Montrose. In addition to her former position as New Jersey’s Commissioner of Education, she has also served as the superintendent of schools in Montclair, NJ, and was Director of Programs at Wallace Funds in New York City.

Eileen Giovagnoli, Clark’s Summit, has joined the staff of Penn State Worthington Scranton as its new Learning Center Coordinator.

A native of Dunmore, Ms. Giovagnoli received her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology/social work from East Stroudsburg State College and her Master’s of Social Work from the University of Georgia.

Most recently, she has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the School Social Work at Marywood University in Scranton where she also served as the Director of the Honors and Fellowships Office and Coordinator for Academic Advising.

Ms. Giovagnoli has also taught courses in developmental psychology at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, where she also served as a Career Counselor, providing individual and group career counseling, assisted students in career planning and job search skills and conducted workshops and presentations on careers, job search strategies and graduate school exploration and search. 

In her new role, she will be overseeing the campus’ Learning Center, which brings together faculty, staff and students to promote educational opportunities and advance students’ academic achievement and success through a variety of student services.

Services Ms. Giovagnoli will be coordinating in her new role include:  peer tutoring, writing assistance, study skills assistance, small group tutoring and also providing reference materials and a computer lab for students to use when taking advantage of the center’s services.

PIAA’s District 2 representative, William Schoen, a 25-year official on both the collegiate and high school levels, will provide participants with background, rules understanding, play situations and officiating philosophies. He is also umpire assignor for the Lackawanna League.

The six-hour program is designed to help prospective officials to successfully complete their written examinations and be better prepared to begin careers in baseball and softball umpiring.

It will be offered on Wednesdays, starting January 13 through  27, 2010 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Worthington Scranton campus in Dunmore.  Fee is $49.

For more information, or to register for the PIAA officiating exam prep course, call Worthington Scranton’s Continuing Education Department at 963-2600.

For more information and details regarding PIAA officiating, visit www.piaa.org.

The annual charity effort will take place over the next three weeks.  Club members will place collection boxes in all campus buildings and are asking students, faculty and staff to help make this year's drive a success by donating a new, unwrapped toy that will then be distributed to needy children in the area.

To learn more visit the Toys for Tots website: http://toysfortots.org/

The Dawson Building, the first building ever constructed on the campus, also underwent major changes with a full-scale renovation of its third floor biology lab.  The former lab was completely gutted to make way for a modern facility that meets the technology, research and educational demands of its students and faculty, and continue to meet those demands for years to come.

These two projects, both completed just before the university’s fall semester began, were recognized recently by The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, which honored these endeavors with Pride and Progress Awards.

Since 1975, the Chamber has recognized Lackawanna County's public and private sector operations for upgrading their establishments, improving the appearance of their respective neighborhoods and beautifying the region. Awards are made in a variety of categories and nominations sought. 

Penn State Worthington Scranton’s Business Building was recognized in the New Construction category, while its Biology Lab was honored in the Interior Renovations category.

At each of two separate campus events, at times the room was so quiet you could probably have heard the proverbial pin drop as guest speakers began sharing their experiences on writing, journalism, and the Vietnam War.

The events were part of a county-wide effort in Lackawanna County, called Scranton Reads, an annual community reading event organized by the City of Scranton and the Albright Memorial Library. 

Each year, during the month of October, citizens read a great work of literature and participate in book discussions and special events related to the chosen work. Penn State Worthington Scranton has been participating in Scranton Reads program for several years and hosted two events for this year’s program.

This year’s book was “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien. The book, a fictional account focusing on the Vietnam War, was read by students, faculty and staff, who also attended the featured events.  Some English faculty members also incorporated the book into this semester’s curriculum.

At the first event, an evening panel discussion on “The Media and The War” featured local Scranton Times columnist Chris Kelly and Mike Mullen, a photographer at The Scranton Times and Penn State alumnus, Dr. Warren Bareiss, a media critic and professor at Kings College in Wilkes-Barre, and David Hess, a novelist and veteran who has served on multiple tours of duty, including Vietnam.

Mr. Kelly and Mr. Mullen both were embedded with the U.S. Army in Iraq after the start of the war in Iraq. The evening provided an open forum of discussion in which the participants and the audience discussed the Iraq war, Vietnam, the media, the role and influence of the media in covering wars, and the panelists' personal experiences.

The second event was a craft talk on writing by Mr. O’Brien, who addressed a standing-room only crowd in the campus’ K. Bruce Sherbine Lounge on Thursday afternoon, regaling those in attendance with fictional anecdotes and stories related to “The Things They Carried” as well as his other works and his personal life.

At the end, he told the audience that he could have simply talked about the writing techniques he employs and the technical aspect of writing, but he wanted them to understand that writing is about making the reader “feel something in their heart” and the best way he could think of to do that was to show them the art of story-telling. 

He clearly drove his point home, as several members in the audience asked questions about things of his that they had read, and stayed afterward to talk with the author and have him sign their copies of his book.

The event will feature over 10 campuses and universities, with a minimum of 125 runners competing. The women's team competition begins at 12:30 p.m., followed by the men's team, which has a 1:15 p.m. start.

Over the past few seasons, Penn State Worthington Scranton has made great strides in the PSUAC. 

In Fall, 2007 the women's cross country team captured the campus' first PSUAC Cross Country Championship title, and was named PSUAC League Champions. Also that year, Gary Edstrom, women's cross country coach, was named a PSUAC Coach of the Year.

Last year, the women's team again snagged the state championship title and represented the PSUAC at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association's national championship in Buena Vista, VA.

Also last year, one of the women's team members, Samantha Snead, made headlines after setting four PSUAC course records, winning an individual PSUAC state title and placing second at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association’s (USCAA) National Championship meet in Virginia.

Ms. Snead, now a junior at University Park, was named to the University Park women's cross country team and is the first female athlete in Penn State Worthington Scranton's history to be offered the opportunity to move on to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I level from the PSUAC. 

Also last year, the men's cross country team earned an at-large bid to the national meet, with the campus team's top 10 men runners going to nationals. They finished second at that PSUAC championship meet, with an overall record of 36 wins and 5 losses.

Dr. Philip Mosley, professor of English and Comparative Literature at Penn State Worthington Scranton was one of only eight individual faculty recipients of Penn State’s Institute for the Arts and Humanities grants for his project, "The Cinema of Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne: Realism and Responsibility."

He was named as a recipeint during the Institute for the Arts and Humanities second round of faculty awards for 2009, for the period of July through December.

“I am delighted to be one of two Commonwealth Campus recipients of this grant," Dr. Mosley said. "It will permit me to prepare a manuscript of the research I have been conducting on the work of the Dardenne brothers, social realist film makers from Belgium, who have twice won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and whose major films dramatize ethical crises in the lives of individuals living on the margins of society.”

This particular grant program, awarded through Penn State University, helps fund the research and creative projects of individual faculty members in and across the arts and humanities at Penn State. The monetary awards support materials, travel for research and creative activity, costs related to publication, wages for research assistance, and teaching release time.

Applications are reviewed by members of the Institute’s advisory board and recommendations are made to its Director. Research and products related to the funded program are then disseminated in a variety of ways, including presentations as part of the Faculty Lecture Series, roundtables, symposia, seminars, performances, exhibitions and publications.

The Institute for the Arts and Humanities fosters excellence by stimulating and supporting innovative, interdisciplinary work across the boundaries of departments, schools, and colleges.
Through its wide-ranging, inclusive programming and funding, the Institute strives to play a role of leadership on issues of multidisciplinary and multicultural relevance and importance in the arts and humanities. Support of individual and group projects and of planned programming such as lectures, symposia, exhibitions, and performances builds a vibrant interdisciplinary community and helps raise the profile of the arts and humanities at Penn State.

Dr. Mosley has published extensively on literature and film, and he also translates literature from French to English. His latest translation, of The Book of the Snow by Belgian poet François Jacqmin, is forthcoming from Arc Publications in the U.K. His interest in cinema has led him to be involved in organizing and presenting a variety of film events both locally and nationally.

Penn State University President Graham Spanier was a keynote speaker Thursday for the dedication of Penn State Worthington Scranton’s new Business Building, addressing over 100 attendees.

In addition to Dr. Spanier, other university officials as well as Worthington Scranton donors, supporters, advisory board members, faculty, staff and students were in attendance for the landmark event. 

Chancellor Mary-Beth Krogh-Jespersen welcomed the crowd, saying it was a very proud day for Penn State Worthington Scranton, and thanked those involved for helping to make this latest addition to the campus possible.

It was the recent growth at Penn State Worthington Scranton, that “fueled the need for this spectacular new Business Building,” Dr. Spanier told the crowd, citing the campus’ 11 percent increase in enrollment over the past year.  “You are definitely doing something right.”

“This wonderful new facility promises to keep Penn State Worthington Scranton in the forefront of business education, research and practice, he said.” 

The new $6 million Business Building combines academic classrooms with corporate amenities to create a unique learning facility and community resource.  Specialty features include a Wall Street style trading floor, e-learning and technology classrooms, tiered lecture hall and a conference room with polycom capabilities.

The building was planned with the goal of providing a learning environment conducive to both in-class and online instruction, in addition to being used as a corporate community center.

In fact, local agencies have already used the building for presentations and instructional seminars, while classrooms have been used for continuing education training and development programs with area companies. In addition, planning is underway for a series of events designed to introduce business leaders and area professionals to the facility and what Penn State Worthington Scranton can offer them.

Michael Kushner, an aide representing Sen. Robert Mellow, a major supporter of this initiative who was unable to attend the dedication, praised the effort and what it meant for the campus, as well as the local community.

Edmund Brogenski, a Worthington Scranton business major and president of the campus’s Business Club, spoke about his first time entering the new building and how it invoked a sense of pride in him, making him feel that as a student at Penn State Worthington Scranton, he was now part of something bigger.

Penn State Worthington Scranton gave a whole new meaning to ‘summer camp’ this year with a series of technology-oriented academies aimed at teaching area youth some creative ways to use technology.

From creating animations to composing music, students attending the Nittany Cub Camps and Academies at Penn State Worthington Scranton learned new skills while also having fun.  And, it is hoped that as a result of their summer experience, they will have a new and stronger interest in science, math and technology both in school and as a potential career path.

The STEM Summer Academy, which was one of the first courses offered, was a week-long program for students ages 13 to 15. It connects students and teachers with ongoing interdisciplinary programs and provides them with science, technology, engineering and math experiences. Students and teachers collect and analyze data that will be used by the teachers in their research projects.

STEM research projects involve major concepts in earth, physical and biological sciences as well as significant ideas in engineering and technology. Graphing, analyzing and interpreting data help develop math skills and support in-school curricula. The program also features on-line resources and career awareness activities.

The goals of the Academy are to increase career interest in the sciences, highlight knowledge of science content and technology in the real world, develop partnership among students and motivate students in science and math.

Over 20 youths participated in the summer program offered at Penn State Worthington Scranton for the first time this year, thanks in part to funding from a state Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) grant that provided full scholarships for the students.

Sandy Feather, associate director of admissions at the campus and an organizer of the STEM program, said the STEM Summer Academy was very well-received and has already been funded for Summer 2010.

In line with the STEM Summer Academy, Penn State Worthington Scranton has developed several other unique courses that touch on contemporary technology topics while also tapping into students’ imaginations and creativity.

Fred Aebli, an information sciences and technology instructor at the campus who taught Creating Animations, a Nittany Cub Camp, said 20 children aged 8 to 12, took his course. The students worked together to create animated stories using a flip book technique and their imaginations.

“This particular course is all about the thought process,” Aebli explained. “They’re actually learning the basics of programming in a fun way,” he said. “It’s a way to familiarize them with technological applications they haven’t worked with yet. All they know is that they’re having fun being creative and working in teams.”

While Aebli’s students were using their imaginations to create stories and animated characters, Sharon Toman, senior instructor of music, was teaching the Music and Technology Academy where students were learning to arrange and compose digital music using Sibelius software.

“My course was geared toward students who already had a basic understanding of music notation and could read music,” Toman explained. She taught students a bit of music theory before they started using the Sibelius software to compose their own digital pieces.
“This software is changing the face of music,” she said. “It’s a new tool for all musicians and allows users to create pieces that can range from that of a symphony orchestra to a rock band. And, it provides instant results.”

By the end of Toman’s course, each student had composed several orchestrated musical scores which they demonstrated via visual and audio playback for the class and their parents who were in attendance.

Dr. Debra Smarkusky, associate professor of information sciences and technology at Penn State Worthington Scranton, was also involved with the summer academies.

Her course, Creating 3-D Software Animations Academy, also combined technology and music, teaching students how to design and develop their own animations with music using Alice software. Students were able to use this cutting-edge software to manipulate objects in a virtual world and to add their own sound effects and background music.

It was a course that tapped into students’ interest in technology, as well as their artistic side, she explained.

“While music and software animation may appear to be completely different, they actually work very well together, because composing music follows the same process as developing a software application,” Dr. Smarkusky stated.

“Today’s students are getting savvier in the use of computers and software,” Aebli said. “They have a much greater knowledge and comfort level than students had even just a few years ago, but they still like to have fun.”

In fact, combining technology with fun, creativity and young imaginations was an underlying theme and goal of this summer’s youth technology offerings at Penn State Worthington Scranton and something that Aebli, Smarkusky and Toman are very much interested in encouraging, enhancing and continuing.

Mallory Pencek, '09 Business, has received the University's prestigious John Egli Outstanding Female Scholar-Athlete Award for 2008-09.

This award was established in honor of Assistant Professor John Egli, the first Commonwealth Campus Coordinator of Athletics, for his distinguished service to Penn State University as a student, athlete, faculty member, and coach. Mr. Egli was responsible for the establishment, growth, and development of the Commonwealth Campus Athletic Conference, now known as the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC).

The award is given to one female and one male athlete each year.

Ms. Pencek, of Factoryville, was chosen from approximately 1,400 student athletes who participated in one or more of the 10 varsity sports offered at the 15 Penn State campuses. While at Worthington Scranton, she played for three seasons on the women's basketball team and was team captain this past year. She also played softball for two years and was a member of the United State’s Collegiate Athletic Association’s National All-Academic Team in both basketball and softball.

She is the daughter of Richard and Dr. Caroline Pencek, a member of Worthington Scranton’s Advisory Board.

This award was established in honor of Assistant Professor John Egli, the first Commonwealth Campus Coordinator of Athletics, for his distinguished service to Penn State University as a student, athlete, faculty member, and coach. Mr. Egli was responsible for the establishment, growth, and development of the Commonwealth Campus Athletic Conference, now known as the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC).