Charles Cantalupo, distinguished professor of English, comparative literature and African studies at Penn State Schuylkill, will be hosting a reading and book signing of his recent release "Joining Africa: From Anthills to Asmara," at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 21, in The Ciletti Library on the campus of Penn State Schuylkill.

This eye-opening personal history tells the story of an American college professor's 20 year engagement with a thriving Africa rarely encountered by Western visitors.  The book, which is adventurous, spiritual, political and humorous all at once, is a unique documentary of a journey through the continent. The Africa presented here is neither a postcolonial study nor an exotic tourist destination. In vibrant prose, Cantalupo's book extends a stirring invitation to re-evaluate how we engage with this remarkable part of the world.

More information available at www.joiningafrica.com

Thinking about becoming a Penn State Schuylkill student for Fall 2012?  Experience life as a student at a Lion for a Day program. This program allows you to experience a typical college day with a current student. Agenda includes: Campus Tour, Lunch in the Hidden Stream Café, Attending a Real College Class, and Meeting with an Admissions Counselor.

Lion for a Day programs will each last several hours.  We encourage family members to enjoy our local community while their student takes part in our program.  Our staff would be happy to direct you on eating, shopping, and local attractions. Seating is limited for each program so register today!  Check out one of our Spring 2012 programs:

Monday Feb. 20 (Presidents' Day, 9am-12pm): Featured Class CRIMINAL JUSTICE 100 Friday March 23 (1pm-4pm):  Featured Class ASTRONOMY 001 Thursday April 5 (1:45pm-4:45pm):  Featured Class COMPARATIVE LITERATURE 106 Friday April 6 (10am-12:30pm):  Featured Class HISTORY 001 Monday April 9 (10am-1pm):  Featured Class: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT & FAMILY STUDIES 229

BY THOMAS LESKIN (STAFF WRITERTLESKIN@REPUBLICANHERALD.COM), Published: January 17, 2012

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - Although to some, While Martin Luther King Jr. Day may be just another holiday, Penn State students used the day Monday to try to spur change by giving back to the community.

"It is very fitting to honor Dr. King with service activities, given that his life was spent giving service to others," said Dr. Stephen Couch, interim chancellor of Penn State Schuylkill. "I think providing service to others underlines our common mutuality, and it also treats others who may be very different from ourselves as our brothers and sisters, as common members of the human race, people who deserve to be treated with dignity, with respect and with love."

Students from five regional campuses - Penn State Schuylkill, Hazleton, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Lehigh Valley - participated in a breakfast, watched an opening video with clips from King's speeches, heard musical performances, listened to a guest speaker, which included a documentary about the conflict in Africa, and went out to perform community service projects.

Tina Rose, coordinator of student leadership, career development and community service at Penn State Schuylkill, said that the collaborative event, in which about 50 students participated, is held at a different campus every year.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day program was in its fourth year and will be held at Penn State Scranton next year.

Natasha Bliss, of Invisible Children, spoke about how the nonprofit grassroots organization came to be and what it does. She also showed a documentary made by the organization called "Tony," which follows the story of a Ugandan boy who grew up during conflict.

"It's really wonderful for me to be here today, especially for Martin Luther King Day," Bliss said. "For Invisible Children, this is a very revered day. We idolize Martin Luther King because he really set the foundation for our organization."

Invisible Children formed after the spring of 2003 when three young filmmakers - Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey and Laren Poole - traveled to Africa in search of a story and stumbled upon Africa's longest-running war, a conflict where children were both the weapons and the victims.

They produced the documentary "Invisible Children: Rough Cut" in 2005, first showing it to their friends and family, but eventually having showings throughout the nation.

It showed the war in northern Uganda. For the past 23 years, the Lord's Resistance Army and the government of Uganda have been waging a war that has left nearly two million innocent civilians caught in the middle.

The documentary depicts night commuting, where children of northern Uganda would be forced to walk miles from their village homes to city streets where it would be safe to sleep and then return home the next day, Bliss said.

Children feared being abducted by the LRA led by terrorist Joseph Kony, because they would either be killed or end up as members of the army.

It also concentrates around "Tony," through the death of his mother, his life during school, his travel to the United States and the loss of his close friend, Nate Henn, who worked with Invisible Children for a year and a half as a "roadie" or staff member, traveling all over the U.S. speaking about the organization's cause. He was killed by an explosion in a July 2010 terrorist attack in Kampala, Uganda, that ripped through a rugby field where hundreds of people had gathered to watch the final match of the World Cup.

Bliss said that since "Invisible Children: Rough Cut" was filmed in 2003, night commuting has ended for the children of northern Uganda. She said 25,000 children had been abducted.

In 2006, Invisible Children Inc. became an official 501(c)3 nonprofit, and it's goal is to remove Joseph Kony, so Uganda no longer has to live in devastating civil war conditions and wayward children can receive an education.

The organization was behind the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009, which was signed by President Barack Obama on May 24, 2010, legislation aimed at stopping Kony and helping the countless children whose lives are at risk.

In October, Obama authorized the deployment of approximately 100 combat-equipped U.S. troops to central Africa to assisting regional forces "remove from the battlefield" Kony and senior LRA leaders.

"I can't think of any better story that personally is more inspirational and so fitting for MLK Day, as Martin and Invisible Children both caused a huge movement," Rose said, adding, "Change begins with you, no matter how big or small, so we're going to go out there today and cause change."

Rose said Invisible Children will visit Penn State Schuylkill again March 14 as part of the Kony 2012 tour. There will also be a Ugandan speaker.

For the community service projects, students from Penn State Schuylkill went to the Hillside SPCA, Pottsville, and Child Development, Minersville. Students from the Wilkes-Barre campus went to the Orwigsburg food pantry; Scranton campus students went to Rest Haven nursing home, Schuylkill Haven; Lehigh Valley campus student went to the Walk-In Art Center, Schuylkill Haven, and Hazleton campus students went to the Schuylkill YMCA and Historical Society of Schuylkill County, both in Pottsville.

Daniel Wells, 20, of Prince George's County, Md., a sophomore at Penn State Schuylkill, sang and played the piano during the morning events, then volunteered at Hillside SPCA, cleaning out the van used to transport animals.

"It's good to play music that goes with the occasion and you can make people feel a certain type of way with the music that you're playing," Wells said. "I like to do community service. Every little bit helps."

Kelly M. Austin, vice president of finance and administration at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, has been named the new chancellor at Penn State Schuylkill, effective June 1. He replaces previous Schuylkill chancellor R. Keith Hillkirk, who moved to the same role at Penn State Berks in 2011. Stephen Couch, director of academic affairs, has served as interim chancellor since July.

"Dr. Austin brings exceptional leadership experience to Penn State Schuylkill," said Madlyn Hanes, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses. "His accomplished service in senior administrative roles -- most notably in finance and business operations, academic and student support and community relations -- speaks to his broad expertise."

"It is an honor and a privilege to join the Penn State community, a nationally recognized institution of higher learning, as chancellor of the Schuylkill campus," Austin said. "Penn State Schuylkill’s reputation for producing high quality graduates prepared for the jobs of the future is well known, and the excellence attributed to the first-class faculty and staff have positioned the campus for prosperity in an increasingly unstable national and international climate. I look forward to working with the campus community to serve the evolving workforce and cultural, artistic and educational needs of the citizens of the region and beyond."

Austin has been in his current role since 2008, serving as the chief business and administration officer of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. His duties include the development and implementation of a strategic plan, collaboration with senior officers to ensure student retention and leading the development and implementation of the campus operating budget, capital budget and auxiliary budget, among other responsibilities.

He also coordinates budget and administrative operations within larger University of Pittsburgh operations and oversees units including business operations, facilities management, athletics, information technology, budget office, campus police, housing, human resources, purchasing, the campus bookstore and dining services.

From 2007-08, Austin served as vice president of student affairs, where his duties included the development of a comprehensive outside-the-classroom student experience focused on leadership, involvement and service. He worked to foster a campus-wide student-centered atmosphere and an inclusive, open and safe environment while overseeing a residential student population of 1,800.

"Dr. Austin is regarded by his colleagues in the higher education community as an innovative leader, skillful at building positive community relations and strategic planning, and committed to shared governance and student-centered learning," Hanes said.

Austin earned his Ph.D. in administrative and policy studies from the University of Pittsburgh. He holds an M.B.A from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and bachelor's and master's degrees from Slippery Rock University.

Prior to joining the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, he served in multiple roles working directly with students at Embry-Riddle, including coordinator of first generation student programs, education specialist and academic advisor for first year programs and assistant director of student activities. He joined the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in 2006 as director of student unions and student activities.

He has been active in numerous community service organizations, including United Way, Special Olympics, Make-A-Wish, Habitat for Humanity and March of Dimes.

"I am confident that Penn State Schuylkill will enjoy its long-standing tradition of educational excellence and realize significant progress in the coming years under Dr. Austin's leadership," Hanes said.

Students and parents are invited to complete their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at our FAFSA workshop on Wed. Feb. 8, 2012 at 6:00pm in 002 Classroom Building. To be reviewed for any type of financial aid at Penn State, students must have a current FAFSA on file, so take advantage of this brief FAFSA completion session to get your 2012/2013 aid started.  Please call 570-385-6252 to sign up. 

Participating students and parents will need to come prepared with the following:

1.) FAFSA student pin number

2.) FAFSA parent pin number (both types of pin numbers available at www.pin.ed.gov)

 3.) Completed taxes or the last pay stub for both student and parents

Call 570-385-6252 to Register for FAFSA Completion Night Wed. Feb. 8, 2012 at 6:00pm in C-2

Charles Cantalupo, distinguished professor of English, comparative literature and African studies at Penn State Schuylkill, has published a new book. "Joining Africa," published by Michigan State University Press, is an eye-opening personal history, telling the story of an American college professor’s 20-year engagement with a thriving Africa rarely encountered by Western visitors, including connections to poets across the continent.

At once adventurous, spiritual, political, dreamlike, and humorous, "Joining Africa" is a unique documentary of a journey through the continent, including an intense five-year encounter with economically struggling but culturally fertile Eritrea.

Miners Bank recently donated a stained-glass dome valued at $25,000 to Penn State Schuylkill. The dome, separated into nine sections with a corresponding metal frame, was removed from the ceiling of the Miners Bank Tremont Branch. The Tremont Branch was built in 1910 and the dome was part of its original construction. For several years, the dome -- comprised of leaded stained glass and 9 feet in diameter -- was covered and hidden from view.

"We are very pleased to donate the dome to Penn State and we hope it will be enjoyed for many years to come," said George H. Groves, president/CEO of Miners Bank. 

Stephen R. Couch, interim chancellor of Penn State Schuylkill said,  "I am delighted that Miner's Bank has given Penn State Schuylkill this beautiful historic glass dome. We greatly appreciate their generosity and look forward to finding a prominent place to display the dome on our campus."

Currently discussions are under way to find a permanent location for the dome on campus.

The committee, chaired by Pamela Black, associate professor of criminal justice and borough resident, will be charged with recommending actions to improve the climate on campus and campus relations with the Borough of Schuylkill Haven. Volunteers will be sought at the meeting for borough resident participation on the committee.

The committee will submit preliminary recommendations to Stephen Couch, interim chancellor at Penn State Schuylkill, by Feb. 1, 2012.

SPOTLIGHT ON:

Eric C. Dreisbach, ‘11
BS Administration of Justice, December 2011

Commencement at Penn State Schuylkill on December 15, 2011 will be a momentous day for one of our local veterans. Eric C. Dreisbach will receive his Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice. Eric attended Penn State Schuylkill with funding from his GI Bill benefits.

Why did I choose Penn State Schuylkill?

“I always wanted to go to school near my hometown of Pine Grove, and fortunately PSU Schuylkill offered the degree I wanted. It is only 10 or so miles from my house, and I liked the fact that it’s a rural school. Their Administration of Justice program is also probably one of the best in the state. The professors who teach the program are very good at their jobs, and they were always there to help out if anyone needed guidance.” 

What has my experience been like at Penn State Schuylkill?

“In transitioning from military life to college, I had to adjust to the more ‘laid back’ atmosphere. The level of discipline in the military is much different than the college experience. I’ve made some close friends at Penn State Schuylkill; among them not just students but faculty as well. It’s been very rewarding. I’ve gathered a vast amount of knowledge on the criminal justice system, and had the privilege to learn from some of the best professors Penn State has to offer. There are plenty of faculty who are always there to provide a helping hand.”

“Penn State Schuylkill was very supportive when I needed to take four semesters off during my deployment to Iraq during 2009 through early 2010. This did have a big impact on my studies. A lot of the friends I had made during my first two years graduated while I was gone. When I came back I was the new ‘old guy’ and I had to make friends with the new students. It also was tough getting back into the ‘school mode’ after being overseas for so long, and out of school.”

Why did I decide to join the military?

“I joined the military because of a strong sense of patriotism and desire to serve my country. I’ve always had the utmost respect for those who wear the uniform, and it would be the greatest honor…to wear it standing beside them. My greatest accomplishment while serving in the military was graduating from advanced individual training as a 19 Delta Cavalry Scout in Fort Knox, KY. This school was both physically and mentally demanding, especially as a young eighteen year old adult. Graduation day was one of the proudest days of my life.”

How was the Veterans benefits process at Penn State Schuylkill?

“I found Penn State Schuylkill to be very supportive through the Veterans benefits process. The Veteran’s representative on campus sent out all of the necessary paperwork every semester. All I had to do was fill out the paperwork and send it back to the Veteran’s representative, overall it was a very simple process.”

What are my career goals for the future? 

“With my Bachelor of Science in Administration of Justice degree, I’m looking for a position in law enforcement or I may try for a commission in the Army through the Officer’s Candidate School. My four year degree will make that option very possible.”

Interested in learning more about Veterans Services at Penn State Schuylkill?

At Penn State Schuylkill we are proud to serve Veterans. Our campus utilizes a team approach to Veterans Services, which aims to provide Veterans with a one stop shop to meet their needs. For additional information or to view the members of our Veterans Services team please click here to view our Veterans Services page.

-- University Police patrols of campus residence halls have been increased during nighttime hours.

-- Additional police from Penn State’s Berks campus will be added to the Schuylkill campus force for an increased presence on the patrols.

-- Many scheduled student events have been postponed until the spring semester of 2012.

-- Students must vacate housing within 24 hours of their last exam.

-- The Penn State Schuylkill Office of Student Conduct, in an ongoing effort, continues to implement sanctions against the students involved.

Couch said he will lead efforts in the coming days, weeks and months to strengthen the conversation about nonviolence and mutual respect, both on campus and in the Schuylkill Haven community. The chancellor said he has decided to accelerate the initial timeframe for creation of the committee, as well as the delivery of their recommendations. Couch said he would now like to see an initial report no later than Feb. 1, and he will share their report with the campus and the wider community at that time.

“The committee will be charged with recommending actions that will improve the climate on campus and between the campus and the Schuylkill Haven community,” Couch said. “I am determined to take the necessary steps to get to the root of the violence and incivility that plague some parts of our campus community.”

On Wednesday, Dec. 7, senior campus administrators attended a meeting of the Schuylkill Haven Borough Council to address the violent nature of events taking place on Dec. 4. Attending the meeting along with Couch were Tammie Durham, director of Enrollment Services; Matthew Swatchick, director of Student Affairs; and Pamela Black, director of Academic Affairs. The campus administrators responded to the concerns of several community members in attendance.

Students, faculty and staff members who have been affected by recent events are encouraged to reach out to Campus Counseling at 570-385-6127, or visit http://www.sl.psu.edu/StudentServices/counseling.htm for more information. Campus Counseling’s services are strictly confidential.

Police urge campus community members to remember to walk on well-lit paths, walk in groups and report suspicious behavior or individuals immediately to police at 570-385-6144 or 911. For more information about safety services at Penn State Schuylkill, visit http://www.sl.psu.edu/Information/Safety/cservices.htm online.

Penn State Schuylkill will be holding Fall 2011 graduation on Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. in the Gymnasium, Lower Level of the Health and Wellness Building.  Allen Kiefer will be the keynote speaker.

Allen Kiefer has a long and distinguished career in banking and finance.  His banking career began over 30 years ago starting in a small community bank as a trainee and subsequently attaining positions as a cashier, investment officer, trust department manager, and president and CEO.

Mr. Kiefer is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an Investment Advisor. In 2000, he formed Kiefer Investment Services, an investment advisory and money management firm, specializing in wealth creation, growth and retention through asset allocation. The firm also offers brokerage and insurance services.

 Mr. Kiefer’s military background includes serving in the US Army as a First Lieutenant.  His service included the position of Division Medical Supply Officer, 9th Infantry Division, Vietnam.  He was awarded the Combat Medical Badge, Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal.

Mr. Keifer began his post-secondary education at the Penn State Schuylkill Campus.  He is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, receiving his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics in 1965. He also attended The Graduate School of Business Administration at Temple University and completed specialized banking courses at Bucknell University, Mellon Bank, Duke University, and the University of Wisconsin.

Mr. Kiefer proudly serves on many community organization boards. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Schuylkill Health System, the President of the Penn State Schuylkill Advisory Board, and a member of the Rotary Club of Pottsville. He has previously served as Campaign Chairman for Schuylkill United Way and Co-chairman for the Ciletti Library Campaign at Penn State Schuylkill.

 On Tuesday, November 8, 2011, Penn State Schuylkill Campus will host Michael Seibel, Stage and Opera Director - Professor of Drama, Improvisation and Voice as a guest lecturer.  The lecture will be on Greek Theater and its Manifestations in Western Culture and will be held at 2pm in the Morgan Auditorium on campus.

Born in German, he has lived the last 17 years in Greece.  He has directed theatre and opera performances in Germany and Greece (such as National Theatre Athens, Opera House Thessalonika).  He was awarded international theatre awards (such as "Best Directing" at the international Theatre Festival for experimental in Cairo 2000/ "Best Performance at the Festalll "Encounter" for Drama Schools in Brno iin CZech Republic 1999)

He was Artistic Director of theatre groups, theatre programs and festivals ( such as Artistic Director at Theatre Festival "Nauwieser Theater Fest in Saarbrücken, German 1994-96/Artistic Director for the theatrical program at Film Festival "Max Ophuls" in Saarbrücken, German 1995).

The lecture is open to the campus community.

Noted Eritrean author Alemseged Tesfai will deliver his talk "Global Diversity ... The More We Get Together" at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8, in The Morgan Auditorium, Penn State Schuylkill. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Alemseged Tesfai is the most prominent writer in Eritrea, a country in the Horn of Africa that is bordered by Sudan, Djibouti and Ethiopia  His books include history, political analysis, novels, short stories, plays, criticism and tales for children. 

As an intellectual and a fighter himself, he played a critical role in shaping and sustaining Eritrean culture during the war, when he also authored a collection of short stories, "Wedi Hadera", and his most famous play, "The Other War," published together with "Two Weeks in the Trenches"  in the United States and Eritrea. 

In 2000, he translated and published Ngugi wa Thiongo's "I Will Marry When I Want (Ms Teberhani Emir'o)", which went on to be widely performed in a national tour of Eritrea. His "magnum opus" is a history of Eritrea's struggle for independence, in three volumes and over 2,000 pages written in Tigrinya. Tesfai is the head of the History Project in Eritrea's Research and Documentation Center.

Lawyer turned freedom fighter, Tesfai is a pre-eminent historian and dramatist. A quarter of a century ago, he abandoned a promising academic career at the University of Wisconsin to join the fledgling Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front to fight for Eritrea's freedom.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- An application available starting Tuesday (Sept. 27) through eLion gives Penn State students at all campuses the opportunity to compare their non-class schedule conflicts with open courses to make scheduling classes easier.

Schedule Planner, an online application, aligns a student's intended courses with self-identified event conflicts -- such as a recurring work schedule, meetings, rehearsals and practice times -- and reports back open class sections that work around those conflicts.

"We view Schedule Planner as a secure way for students to use technology to make course registration an easier process," Karen Schultz, University registrar, said. "We believe the service will give students the ability to tailor their course options to the demands of their daily and weekly extracurricular activities."

At any time, even prior to open registration dates, students can log in to eLion and select the Schedule Planner link, which redirects them to the Schedule Planner website. There they list all known blocks of time that they are unavailable for classes along with the courses they wish to take for an upcoming semester. Schedule Planner returns all open class sections that fit open blocks of time. Students then return to eLion, and enter their preferred sections from Schedule Planner's personalized results to complete course registrations.

The registrar's office will send Schedule Planner hourly updates regarding section space availability. Additional features of Schedule Planner allow students to save their listed schedule conflicts for future use and offer the ability to lock in a particular section of a desired course.

Schedule Planner is available through the eLion website.

Thinking about applying to Penn State for Fall 2012? 

Join us for Penn State Day Saturday October 22 at 10:00am! 

Penn State Day is an open house program that will include information about the Penn State system, the admissions process, and specifics about the Schuylkill campus.   Penn State Day also provides interactive experiences including: student panel, staff panel, classroom experience (with current faculty members), information fair, lunch, and campus tours.

Please register for this FREE program by calling 570-385-6252.

To register online for Penn State Schuylkill's Penn State Day, please click here: Schedule a Visit  

As of July 1, Mary Feeney Bonawitz, assistant professor of accounting at Penn State Schuylkill, was installed as chair of the American Society of Women Accountants Educational Foundational (ASWAEF).

The Foundation is a 501 c(3) sister organization of the ASWA with a mission to promote financial literacy and award scholarships. The ASWAEF has worked with the FDIC through its many chapters to promote its Money Smart Program in the communities served by the chapters. The foundation provides professional certification and undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree scholarships through its fundraising activities. Through relationships with corporate sponsors, the foundation also provides certified public accountant exam review scholarships to the regions served by ASWA.

Want to be a Lion for a Day?

Thinking about applying to Penn State Schuylkill for Spring 2012 or Fall 2012?  Experience life as a Penn State Schuylkill student at a Lion for a Day program. Our Lion for a Day  allows you to experience a typical college day with a current student.  Visit agenda includes: Campus Tour, Lunch in the Hidden Stream Café, Attending a Real College Class, and Meeting with an Admissions Counselor.

Lion for a Day programs will each last several hours.  We encourage family members to enjoy our local community while their student takes part in our program.  Our staff would be happy to direct you on eating, shopping, and local attractions.  Seating is limited for each program so register today!

Tuesday Oct. 25, 2011 (10:45am-2:00pm) Featured Course: Fundamentals of Acting

Friday Nov. 4, 2011 (11:00am-2:00pm) Featured Course: Introduction to Human Development & Family Studies

Friday Nov. 11, 2011 (10:45am-1:45pm) Featured Course: Introduction to the Psychology of Gender

Monday Nov. 28, 2011 (10:45am-2:00pm) Featured Course: American Civilization Since 1877

 Please register one of these FREE programs by calling 570-385-6252.

The Penn State Schuylkill Commission for Women and members of the campus' Dance Marathon (THON) team have gathered 50 teddy bears for donation to children at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. The bears will be given to children entering the emergency room and the pediatric unit, and to children being treated in the hospital's hematology and oncology units.

Each bear sports a navy T-shirt that reads, "Penn State Loves You." The bears will be presented to the Penn State Hershey Medical Center on Oct. 11.

Penn State Schuylkill students raised $8,400 recently in a series of canning events in Schuylkill County as part of the The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, affectionately referred to as THON. The students collected funds at Boyer's Markets locations in Schuylkill Haven and Orwigsburg, Pa., and at Palermo's restaurant in Minersville, Pa.  The funds will go to the Four Diamonds Fund, which offers financial and emotional support to pediatric cancer patients and their families, and also funds cancer research.

Since THON began in 1973, Penn State students from across the commonwealth have combined to raise more than $78 million for the Four Diamonds Fund. THON now is known as the largest student-run philanthropy in the world.

• Identify risk factors for harm to law enforcement officers, specifically those related to persons who are in crisis and or suffering from symptoms of a serious mental illness.
• Recognize the symptoms of the three serious mental illnesses most commonly suffered by persons in our criminal justice system, including risk factors for suicide.
• Discuss serious mental illnesses from a consumer/family member perspective(s).
• Apply communication and de-escalation techniques to maintain officer and citizen safety when interacting with a person in crisis.
• Summarize general county crisis service procedures and perspective, and the meaning of the phrase “clear and present danger of harm to others or self” as used in the Pennsylvania Mental Health Procedures Act.

Stephen R. Couch, professor of sociology and professor of science, technology and society, is interim chancellor at Penn State Schuylkill. Prior to assuming the position on July 1, Couch served for four years as the director of academic affairs at the campus.

After receiving an undergraduate degree in music from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, he remained at Oberlin College for a master's degree in sociology. His received his doctorate in sociology from Binghamton University, N.Y.

An award-winning teacher and researcher, Couch is co-author of four books and has written more than 30 published articles, most of them dealing with environmental sociology and technological hazards. He has presented the results of his research at conferences throughout the United States, as well as in Europe, Mexico and Japan. His current research interests are on community breakdown and recovery from environmental risks, popular culture and disasters, and the collective construction of meaning by groups victimized by modern technology.

Couch has served as an expert witness in several cases involving environmental contamination. He has consulted in his areas of expertise for numerous governmental and business organizations, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and Borden Chemicals. He is past chair of the Environment and Technology Division of the Society for the Study of Social Problems, former editor of Social Problems Forum, has been a member of the board of directors of the Sociological Practice Association, and sat on the council of the Environment and Technology Section of the American Sociological Association.

Couch resides in Orwigsburg with his wife Kathy. He loves spending leisure time with her, his two granddaughters (7-year-old Stephanie and 4-year-old Kaitlyn) and their parents (daughter Amanda and son-in-law Drew).

By July, 16 Penn State campuses will have new high-technology classrooms equipped with identical high-definition video conferencing technologies that will enable faculty and students in up to four locations to participate in the same course at the same time. The classrooms are part of Penn State's new Video Learning Network (VLN). The goal of this network is to help Pennsylvania adults acquire the knowledge and skills they need for today's jobs -- which often require college degrees or specialized training -- conveniently at a Penn State campus close to home.

A VLN team is assessing career development opportunities within Pennsylvania. "We are pulling together data on long-term employment opportunities throughout the Commonwealth, the Penn State academic programs that will prepare Pennsylvania adult learners for these careers, and the campuses that have VLN classrooms to offer the programming most needed in their area," said Rosemarie Piccioni, who recently was appointed director of the Penn State Video Learning Network. She said a new report indicates there is employment growth in the health care, business, finance, engineering, nursing and education sectors.

Piccioni is responsible for overseeing the installation of VLN classrooms at Penn State campuses. She added, "The teaching and learning technologies available to faculty through the VLN classrooms are making it easier for them to reach students in multiple locations simultaneously in ways that meet the different learning styles of learners."

This summer, professional certificate programs and general education courses are being offering at many Penn State campuses through the VLN in accelerated seven-week formats. In the fall, a wider range of general education courses and certificate programs will be available. Starting in fall 2012, the first bachelor's degree programs will be offered.

The Video Learning Network includes the following Penn State locations: Berks, DuBois, Behrend, Fayette, Great Valley, Greater Allegheny, Harrisburg, Hazleton, the Learning Center in Lewistown, Lehigh Valley, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Schuylkill, University Park, the Williamsport Center, and York.

Penn State Outreach serves more than 5 million people each year, delivering more than 2,000 programs to people in all 67 Pennsylvania counties, all 50 states and 114 countries worldwide.

Tuesday, April 19 at 6:00 p.m.

Penn State University, Schuylkill Campus

Health and Wellness Building, Room 201

RSVP by April 11 to kdb132@psu.edu or 570-385-6115

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, contact Mindy Anthony Spolski at (570) 385-6127 in advance of your participation or visit.

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce. U.Ed. SL 11-47

The Commission for Women Award is a University-wide recognition that highlights the hard work of a technical service employee at Penn State. Shade works in the campus's Hidden Stream Café, a food court that features a large menu of snacks and meals for students during the school week. She also oversees Schuylkill's catering service.

"Penny goes above and beyond to provide students and the community here with incredible service," Penn State Hazleton and Schuylkill Housing and Food Services Director Jonathan Kukta said.

Shade will be honored at a ceremony on Friday, April 15 at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. Kukta submitted the nomination and he said it wasn't difficult to find campus members to write supporting testimonials on Shade's behalf.

"I was delighted to learn that Penny is being honored for her achievements," Keith Hillkirk, Penn State Schuylkill chancellor, said. "She provides outstanding customer service in our campus café and it's essential that we recognize and celebrate excellence in the service and leadership exemplified by employees like Penny."

Shade said she was equally excited and surprised about winning the award. She added that "it's an honor to be highly respected and appreciated by my peers."
Shade's culinary life doesn't stop at the Hidden Stream Café. After work, she takes culinary arts classes at Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport. Additionally, she also substitute teaches culinary classes at Northumberland Vo Tech in Shamokin.

"I love putting on my chef coat every day," she said. "There's just an endless amount of neat stuff you can do with food. If I can be a chef, I can smile."
Kukta said Shade brings a wealth of knowledge to the kitchen that is something the staff and students benefit from every day.

"Penny continuously displays the 'wow' factor to our students, faculty and staff," he said. "What makes Penny stand out is her student-centered approach in particular."

"The Wiz" is a children's show, something that people of all ages could enjoy.  "The Wiz" is a funky musical version of the L. Frank Baum story "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," telling the story of Dorothy, a Kansas farm girl, who is lifted to the land of Oz by a tornado. She meets a few friends, including a scarecrow, tin man and lion, as she follows the yellow brick road in search of the wizard who will help her get home.

According to Cathy Fiorillo, Assistant Professor of Theatre and Speech and Theatre minor advisor at Penn State Schuylkill , Penn State Schuylkill is updating the show and making it its own.

Tickets are now on sale for "The Wiz".  General Admission is $10, Children and Seniors $ 8.00 PSU Schuylkill Students are free.

The Penn State Schuylkill Alumni Society is co-sponsoring “Penn State Day At Knoebels Amusement Park” on Saturday, May 21, 2011.

We all know how much fun Knoebels can be. Just add a large crowd of PENN STATERS and the day will get even better!
Let’s Go State!!!!!!!

Schedule 11:00 a.m.—Registration Noon—Lunch, Alumni Blue Band, Brief Program, Raffles 2:00 p.m.—Penn State Party @ the Birthday Cake Pavilion Representatives from the various Penn State alumni organizations will provide information and giveaways!

$20 per person (Includes lunch, $10 ticket booklet, entertainment by the Alumni Blue Band and Nittany Lion, Party @ the Birthday Cake Pavilion, giveaways, raffle chances, etc.) $10 for children 4 yrs and younger

 
Reservation deadline: Friday, May 6, 2011.

For more information, call 570-385-6115

• Penn State Hazleton Alumni Society
• Penn State Schuylkill Alumni Society
• Penn State Wilkes-Barre Alumni Society
• Penn State Worthington Scranton Alumni Society
• Greater Scranton Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association
• Hazleton Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association
• Schuylkill Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association
• Susquehanna Valley Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association

The workshop will open with a keynote address by Judge John E. Jones III, United States district justice of the Middle District of Pennsylvania. In 2005, Jones presided over the landmark case of Kitzmiller v. Dover School District, after which he held that it was unconstitutional to teach intelligent design within a public school science curriculum in what has come to be known as the Dover Decision.

Jones will present "From Scopes to Kitzmiller: The Legal Battle Regarding Teaching Evolution in Public Schools." His talk will trace the legal cases starting with the Scopes trial in Tennessee up to today, including Kitzmiller, and highlight the reasons for the jurisprudential progression. His presentation also will highlight matters related to the Supreme Court and the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment.

Feb. 22 marked the date that Penn State was founded in 1855 as a publicly supported agricultural college. In 1863, Penn State was designated as Pennsylvania’s land-grant college -- a distinction that only Penn State holds and a designation that created a university to educate large segments of society that had not yet been served by higher education. To underscore Penn State’s important relationship with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Penn State Outreach has created a video that highlights the many successes of the University and the individuals whose lives have been touched by Penn State.

As one of the nation’s first land-grant institutions, Penn State has been in a partnership with Pennsylvania for nearly 150 years. Through this partnership, Penn State has provided both access to education and expertise to help solve some of society’s most pressing problems.

“It’s a designation that meant Penn State would work to improve the well-being of farmers and industrial workers,” said Penn State President Graham Spanier. “It meant that Penn State was one of the ‘people’s universities,’ created to make a difference in the lives of citizens.”

Today, Penn State plays a significant role in education, research and service that supports the development of the Commonwealth and its residents.

“Penn State is proud of its partnership with Pennsylvania and remains committed to the Commonwealth as we move forward in the 21st Century,” said Spanier.

To learn more about this unique partnership, click on the video link: http://thepartnership.psu.edu.

There are a number of subscriptions in the system that remain unvalidated. "These people have not yet successfully completed the validation process, so they are not set up to receive PSUTXT messages although they may think they are. This test will help to make those people aware that their PSUTXT accounts are not active and they need to complete their subscription validations," Mountz said.

Validation is necessary for subscriptions to become active to ensure that those receiving the messages actually want them and that nobody has subscribed them without their knowledge. It also confirms that the cell phone number and carrier information was entered correctly so messages can be delivered to the subscriber.

This particular test will involve having PSUTXT administrators from 23 Penn State campuses log into the server simultaneously and send SMS and e-mail messages to nearly 90,000 subscribers, putting as much strain on the vendor's servers as possible to test their ability to handle the load. The vendor, e2Campus, also will be able to use the results of the test to check for any problems with connections to cell providers.

"Text message aggregators in general experienced some issues with a connectivity to carriers such as Verizon Wireless in recent weeks. This test will help confirm that the carrier bind connectivity is working properly," said Eric Polovich of e2Campus.

Those who receive the test message on Feb. 23 do not need to take any action. Anyone who initiated a subscription to PSUTXT but does not receive the test message on Feb. 23 should log into the PSUTXT system by going to http://live.psu.edu/psutxt online. Penn State students, faculty and staff should click on the WebAccess link near the top of that page to login or to create an account using their Penn State access account ID and password. Anyone without a Penn State access account should login or create an account at http://live.psu.edu/psutxt online.

"Once logged in, they should update their cell phone information, and then click on 'Services' to have a new validation code sent," said Mountz. "Once they receive the validation code, they need to enter it on the registration page on the Web site to complete the process and validate their accounts."

Subscribers who continue to have difficulty validating their account should visit http://omnilertsupport.com/e2campus/ online.

For more information, send an e-mail toAMountz@psu.edu.

What is it really like to be a Penn State Schuylkill student?  If you want to find out the answer to that question join us for one of our Lion for a Day programs.  Our Lion for a Day programs are geared at students looking to start at Penn State Schuylkill Fall 2011 and the day is focused on you spending time with a current Penn State Schuylkill Student including the following agenda items: 

A Campus Tour

Lunch in the Hidden Stream Cafe

A Talk with our Admissions Counselor

Attending a Real College Class

Each Lion for a Day program will highlight a real college class at Penn State Schuylkill.  We offer a variety of subject areas for students to choose from including:

·         Monday Feb. 21 (1pm-4:30pm) Featured Class: Astronomy

·         Tuesday March 1 (1pm-5pm) Featured Class: Emerging Issues in Technology

·         Tuesday March 17 (9am-1pm) Featured Class: Photography

·         Friday April 8 (10:30am2pm)  Featured Class: Infant & Child Development

·         Friday April 22 (9:30am-1pm) Featured Class: History

Our Lion for a Day programs will each last several hours.  We encourage family members to enjoy our local community while their student takes part in our program.  Our staff would be happy to direct you on eating, shopping, and local attractions.

Please register for this FREE program by calling 570-385-6252.

To register online for a Lion for a Day program please click here.

Making admissions decisions?

Just starting to think about applying to Penn State?

No matter where you are in the process, Spring Open Houses at Penn State Schuylkill are here for you!  Get your questions answered at our presentation, panel discussion, and information fair. Find out what classes are like at this campus in our classroom experiences, with campus faculty members.  See our beautiful campus (including on campus housing) in a tour lead by our student tour guides the Lion Ambassadors! Lunch included!  We are offering 3 Saturday Open Houses dates for Spring 2011:

February 26, 2011

March 19, 2011

April 16, 2011

Open House programs have a structured agenda and begin promptly at 10am.  If you are interested in any of these programs please register ahead of time and lunch is provided.

To register online for Penn State Schuylkill Open House, please click here.

Don’t Miss the Opportunity to get your Financial Aid in Order!

FAFSA Completion Night at PSU Schuylkill

Call to Register 570-385-6244

Wednesday, March 2, at 6 PM in the C2 of the Cotler Computer Center

Parent and Student will need their:

•  PIN numbers,(www.pin.ed.gov)
•  Social Security Numbers
•  Dates of Birth
•  Tax/Financial Information
•  Address of their High School.

There's a quick and simple way to inform everyone on campus of an emergency.

Penn State Schuylkill encourages students, faculty and staff to enroll in PSUTXT, an easy and accessible system that lets them know via cell phone when classes are canceled due to weather conditions or if the campus has an emergency situation. Sign up now for PSUTXT and, when necessary, Penn State Schuylkill will send a text message alert directly to your cell phone and/or e-mail account.

To register, visit http://live.psu.edu/psutxt  to sign up.

Need help registering for PSUTXT? Click Here for Support from e2Campus

For assistance with PSUTXT service, please contact amountz@psu.edu.