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IUP faculty and staff are often quoted in national publications, speaking in their areas of expertise or about current events. The following list covers some of the most recent quotables and student and alumni recognition by the regional, national and international media.

Citations are arranged in descending chronological order, most recent at top. To go to a particular time period, click on the following links:

 

December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
 

Looking for our experts list? Or quotes relating directly to our university? More news about alumni can be found in IUP Magazine and in WebExtra.

December 2006

Holidays can lead to some headaches for parents, especially toys you put together by hand. The Elf Project at Indiana University of Pennsylvania… was started by a business student so that anyone could drop off the toys and volunteers would assemble them for free. “One of the most stressful experiences around the holidays is assembling toys,” said an IUP student.  WDUQ-FM Radio (Pittsburgh, PA), Dec. 25, 12:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania's Council of Trustees last week agreed to move forward with an expansion of campus parking facilities and refined plans for ongoing development of improved student housing. IUP's trustees agreed to seek $22 million from the State System of Higher Education for additional parking, including construction of a 500-space garage in the area of the existing Hadley Union Building (HUB) lot. Work is expected to begin in December 2007, with estimated completion a year later. The money also will be used to add two more levels to IUP's existing Grant Street parking garage, accommodating 200 more vehicles. Construction of the addition is tentatively set to begin in Spring 2009 and would be finished by the fall semester of that year. The gravel parking lots at the Robertshaw complex also are due for an upgrade, including paving and the addition of 100 spaces, new bus stops and shelters, a new storm water management system and landscaping improvements. That project is expected to begin in May 2008. "Parking plan given the greenlight at IUP," Blairsville Dispatch, Dec. 22, 2006

The term "bully" usually conjures up images of the local tough boy beating up smaller or weaker boys, just for "fun." However, according to Holly Moore, of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania counseling department, school bullies now include an increasing number of girls, and the girls are using cyberspace to "beat up" their victims. Moore addressed all-girl audiences at Ford City High School yesterday on the subject of "Mean Girls," meaning girls who bully other girls. She said that while there are differences in the way boys and girls bully their victims, the end results are the same. "Speaker: Girls bully in different ways," Kittanning Leader-Times, Dec. 22, 2006

After more than 15 years of debate and analysis, Indiana University of Pennsylvania officials appear to have finally solved the controversy surrounding the school's moniker. Last Friday, IUP's Council of Trustees nixed the longstanding "Indians" moniker and announced the university's athletic teams now will be known as the Crimson Hawks. "Crimson Hawks choice for new IUP nickname," Blairsville Dispatch, Dec. 22, 2006

John Lumia and Jennifer Childs will play the title characters in Arden Theatre Company's world premiere of Bruce Graham's Dex & Julie Sittin' in a Tree, Jan. 11-March 4, 2007. ... Graham was inspired to write Dex & Julie Sittin' in a Tree after returning to his own alma mater, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, to receive their Distinguished Alumni Award in 2000. Last winter, he workshopped the play as part of the Independence Foundation New Play Showcase at the Arden, which is supported by the Independence Foundation and the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. "Lovers Reunite in Arden World Premiere, Dex & Julie, Jan. 11," Playbill (New York, NY), Dec. 21, 2006

Why hold a news conference about breaking up a heroin ring before you arrest all the heroin dealers? Criminologist Paul McCauley, a faculty member at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, disagrees. He said law enforcers deserve credit for big busts and criminals usually find out about them before reporters in the age of personal communication — “meaning cell phones and computers and all that stuff that goes with it.” "Was publicity preceding drug arrests hasty?" Times-Tribune (Scranton, Pa.), Dec. 21, 2006

“Funding is a problem, and we can’t provide all the services that larger schools can,” said Skelly School Elementary Superintendent Paul Thompson. When Wenfan Yan, Ph.D., Indiana University of Pennsylvania, released a comparison report of rural school districts in September, his results may have proved consolidation of rural schools had no advantage. “...Rural countywide school districts had much larger total district expenditures than the other types of districts [in Pennsylvania],” Yan wrote. “If ‘economies of scale’ exist, the expenditures per-pupil for rural countywide school districts should be less than those from the other types of non-countywide school districts. The results of this study, however, did not find any statistical differences ... in their per-pupil expenditures. To merge small rural school districts in Pennsylvania on the basis of cost efficiency, therefore, is not supported by this study.” Other states, meanwhile, continue to test the waters and conduct studies to weigh the cost of closing small schools verses saving administrative funds by combining schools. "Rural rules of schools," Tahlequah (Oklahoma) Daily Press, Dec. 20, 2006

Some big honors for some local rockers.  Indiana University of Pennsylvania has named its recording studio after Pittsburgh-based rock band The Clarks.  The band’s members are university alumni.  They’ve performed several benefit concerts for the university in the past years. KDKA-AM Radio, Dec. 19, 2006

Indiana University of Pennsylvania has named its recording studio after Pittsburgh-based rock band The Clarks, which has university alumni as its members. The move was approved last week by the university's Council of Trustees. The Clarks are best known for songs such as 'Hey You,' 'Penny on the Floor' and 'Born Too Late.' Members Scott Blasey, Robert James Hertweck, Greg Joseph and David Minarik graduated from IUP in the 1980s, the university said. They have performed several benefit concerts for IUP in recent years and in 2004 were given the university's Distinguished Alumni Award. Equipment purchased for The Clarks Recording studio will be installed during the spring semester, the university said. Associated Press, Dec. 18, 2006

Trustees of Indiana University of Pennsylvania have agreed to name the recording studio at the campus' Cogswell Hall after The Clarks, a Pittsburgh-based rock group made up of IUP alumni. The Clarks Recording Studio will allow ensembles, groups or individual students to record performances or rehearsals for study; to apply for graduate programs or competitions; or to record performances for noncommercial distribution to alumni, potential students or other uses. The Clarks -- Scott Blasey, Class of 1987; Robert James Hertweck, Class of 1987; Greg Joseph, Class of 1985; and David Minarik, Class of 1988 -- received the IUP Distinguished Alumni Award in 2004. "Indiana County: IUP recording studio named for alumni Clarks," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Dec. 16, 2006

IUP announced yesterday that it has changed the nickname for its sports teams from Indians to the more politically correct Crimson Hawks. The move was necessitated by an NCAA decision last year that restricted the use of certain Native American mascots, names and imagery at NCAA championships. The NCAA restrictions, designed to discourage teams from using nicknames that are considered insensitive, offensive or objectionable by certain segments of the population, were approved in November 2005 and held that, as long as schools kept the Indians nickname, those schools would not be able to play host to NCAA championship events nor could its athletes wear uniforms or equipment bearing that nickname. The new nickname was endorsed by the IUP Council of Trustees upon the recommendation of school president Dr. Tony Atwater. That council's Sept. 15 resolution gave the school the power to secure a new nickname in a manner that is "inclusive, expedient, prudent and reflective of the values and culture of IUP. "IUP gets new nickname, and it's Crimson Hawks," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Dec. 16, 2006

What's in a name? For Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a nickname is worth about nine months of study, three open forums, two online polls and a formal vote. In the end, the university decided that its athletic teams would be known as the Crimson Hawks, replacing the Indians moniker used since the 1930s. IUP's Council of Trustees on Friday approved President Tony Atwater's recommendation that the Crimson Hawks be the new nickname and mascot. "IUP changes nickname to Crimson Hawks, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Dec. 16, 2006

The Indians are out and the Crimson Hawks are in as Indiana University of Pennsylvania's new mascot. The Council of Trustees at IUP approved the new nickname for the school. IUP was forced to change the nickname or face sanctions from the NCAA. More than 170 were ideas suggested, but Crimson Hawks came out on top. The school has been told to start using the name and mascot right away. WTAE-TV (Pittsburgh, Pa.) Dec. 15, 2006

INDIANA, Pa. - Indiana University of Pennsylvania has chosen a new name for its once nameless sports teams: the Crimson Hawks. The school's colors are crimson and gray, and red-tail hawks are native to Indiana County and inhabit parts of the university's campus, the university said. The university had been without a nickname for its teams since September, when it decided to stop using "Indians" at the behest of the NCAA. That nickname was coined in the 1930s by a sports writer at the Indiana Gazette newspaper. The new name was recommended by university President Tony Atwater, and the trustees approved it at a December meeting, the university said in a statement Friday. Almost 170 potential names had been submitted to university officials during public forums and other meetings. Crimson Hawks, Crimson Thunder and Gray Wolves were chosen as the finalists. More offbeat proposals had included the "Fighting Squirrels" and the "Hellbenders." Squirrels are common on campus, and the hellbender salamander is native to the area. Associated Press, Dec. 15, 2006

Gadhafi will benefit by being more firmly ensconced in the saddle. Libya's isolation had, by impacting on its economic growth, made Gadhafi less alluring to Libyans at large, although I doubt he was in any real danger of being toppled, according to S. Azmat Hassan, a professor at the Whitehead School of Diplomacy and former Pakistani ambassador to several Middle Eastern countries. Gawdat Bahgat, who is the director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and who has written extensively about energy security and Libya, agrees. "Analysis: Energy key to Libyan stability," Earthtimes.com, Dec. 11, 2006

The 600 academic administrators and professors who gathered in Philadelphia last week for the annual meeting of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education are on the front lines of the accreditation. ... At one roundtable discussion, for instance, Cheryl T. Samuels, provost of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, described her institution’s efforts – begun three years ago, in the wake of its Middle States self study – to adopt and hold departments accountable for achieving university-wide student learning outcomes for undergraduate education. "We’re at the point where we’ve made a decision that we need to do this anyway,” said Samuels. “We know that if we do not take this responsibility ourselves, through accreditation and our own institutions’ work, and move in this direction, it could be forced on us. But we’re fairly confident that we can do this ourselves – we’re the experts.” She and Rick Ruth, interim provost of Shippensburg University, noted that the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, to which both institutions belong, has long collected and published information from its member universities on more than 60 measures of student and other performance. “We’ve been under that accountability lens for a long time, at least from the system perspective,” said Ruth. "Feeling the Winds From Washington," Inside HigherEd.com, Dec. 11, 2006

In the summer of 2005, when Army Captain Charles “Chuck” Ziegenfuss, a military blogger, was severely injured by such an IED, he asked his blog audience to help him get voice-to-text software, Dragon Naturally Speaking, for his laptop. ... After 33 surgeries and various nerve grafts, Ziegenfuss is slowly recovering from his injuries. He is now training military officers-to-be at Indiana University of Pennsylvania ... "Valour-IT, Milblogs Give Hundreds of Laptops to Wounded Soldiers," MediaShift by Mark Glasser, Dec. 6, 2006

Dr. Lisa Roy-Davis, professor of English, was named to the Lebrecht Chair of Scholarly and Civic Engagement. Roy-Davis, 37, of Plano is a professor of English at Collin since August 2003. ... She holds a bachelor of arts in English from Atlantic Union College in South Lancaster, Mass., a master of arts in English from La Sierra University in Riverside, Calif., and a doctorate with a specialty in 20th Century American Literature, U.S. Latina Writers from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Roy-Davis was given the 2005 Ambassador Award from the college’s Center for Scholarly and Civic Engagement and was named Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year for the Communications and Humanities Department for 2003-04. She is a member of the National Council of Teachers of English, NCTE’s Latino/a Caucus, the College English Association and the Modern Language Association. Currently, she is the chair of the Mexican-American Field of Study Task Force. Her passion for interdisciplinary study have led her to create a project that reaches out to the community members of Collin County, but provides students and faculty with a way to engage and work on it as well. Roy-Davis’ project is to write down the stories of Collin County residents, who have immigrated from other countries. “The idea is to gather but also use as research for students and turn it over to others in the community,” Roy-Davis said. “Ideally I’d like to teach our students to change the course of national discussion. If you gather first person experiences and engage with that type of story, it changes the discussion.” Her project will begin in January 2007. She will be the named chair, which she said is “exciting” and “affirming,” for two years, then she’ll have to be asked back to continue her large scope project. "First endowed chairs at CCCCD named," Plano (Texas) Courier-Star, Dec. 5, 2006

It's pretty unlikely that someone who had a long, distinguished career as an engineer would also have exhibited in a Venice Biennale. Even more unlikely is that an Egyptian native who was once a member of the Cairo avant-garde would be conducting salons at his home in rural Indiana County. Both exist in 83-year-old Kamal Youssef, or Kamal as he prefers, whose retrospective exhibition "Kamal Youssef: An Artist's Journey" is at The University Museum, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, through Saturday. ... From the exhibition Kamal led me to a studio where a dozen young IUP students in Susan Palmisano's class were painting, under his tutelage, a mural on a wall-length canvas. His joy and pride were evident, as was their affection and respect for him. The man and his art converge: warm, humane, probing, witnessing, mystical, harmonious, cosmopolitan, passionate, sensual, calm, thoughtful, celebratory, vulnerable, idiosyncratic, determined. It's to IUP's credit -- particularly the perseverance of College of Fine Arts Dean Michael Hood, and exhibition co-curators John Edelman and Sandra Kadlubowski -- that this exemplary life and the objects birthed of it were selected to celebrate the museum's 30th anniversary. Both Kamal -- and his striking oeuvre -- are experiences that enrich. "Art Review: Egyptian native fulfills artistic journey," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Dec. 3, 2006

Gary Sligh, a professor at Lake-Sumter Community College, was one of three state finalists for community college Professor of the Year last month in Tampa. For the competition, Sligh, who has taught English and humanities at LSCC for nearly eight years, gave a presentation about the government's American Indian boarding-school program of the late 19th century, which relocated children to acclimate them into American culture. Sligh, who earned his doctorate in literature from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, is teaching four classes this fall -- with more than 100 students in all. "Nomination 'thrills' professor," Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel, Dec. 3, 2006

For decades, the name Merle L. Stutzman has been synonymous with fine, quality musical entertainment, and he's delighted many in the area with well-staged musicals, concerts and symphonies. His latest project is directing the Christmas show being performed Friday through Dec. 10 at the Mt. Pleasant Church of God. Stutzman's resume reflects his love of music. After graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor's degree in music education, Stutzman continued his education at Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned a master's degree in opera performance. After studying with the Opera Barga in Lucca, Italy, he returned to the area, where he performed as tenor soloist at the Shadyside Presbyterian Church and worked with the Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh's Civic Light Opera and the Mendelssohn Choir. "Director stages a Christmas musical," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Dec. 3, 2006

The growth of Christmas trees as a farm crop started in Indiana County in about 1918, according to the Indiana County Christmas Tree Growers’ Association. “Before people just went out in the wild and got one,” said Gregg Van Horn, a tree farmer and president of the association. Van Horn, who also works as a groundskeeper at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, plants about 30,000 trees on 50 acres to sell to tree lots and landscapers. On Wednesday, Van Horn and a colleague, Tony Neese, 38, of Indiana, were picking out trees from land Van Horn leases for the home of Tony Atwater, president of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. CBS-TV KYW-Channel 3, Philadelphia, Dec. 1, 2006

Holding a municipal office may be a new experience for the borough's newly appointed mayor, but working in the public service sector and addressing law enforcement issues won't be. Derry Council, at a special Monday session, named Susan Bortz, the sole applicant, to the vacant post of borough mayor. Currently serving as coordinator of municipal police and homeland security programs at Westmoreland County Community College, Bortz also brings to the job 13 years of experience as a former FBI agent. Education has been a continuing aspect of Bortz's multi-faceted career. She obtained an art education degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1974 and, in 2003, completed a master's degree in administration of criminal justice at Mercyhurst College. After an initial stint as a teacher, Bortz moved to Washington, D.C. She served as an educational aide for the U.S. Navy, administering GED and advancement tests, and also worked for the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association. At age 34, she entered the ranks of the FBI, serving in Pittsburgh and Indianapolis field offices. After language training in Italian and Sicilian dialects in California, she was assigned to a squad targeting a Sicilian heroin operation in Philadelphia. Returning to Washington, D.C., she took part in the investigation into the 1993 suicide of Vince Foster, deputy White House counsel during the Clinton administration. She received an award for administrative work related to the Oklahoma City bombing investigation. Bortz was working in counter-intelligence when health issues prompted her to retire from the agency. In her current role at Youngwood-based WCCC, Bortz coordinates training of pre-service cadets, who are working toward certification as municipal police officers, as well as required annual in-service training for active officers. "Former FBI agent named mayor in Derry Borough," Blairsville Dispatch, Dec. 1, 2006

 November 2006

They coincide with the completion of a statewide Herpetological Atlas in which hundreds of volunteers sent their observations to Dr. Art Hulse of Indiana University of Pennsylvania for six years. What resulted was a comprehensive book on Pennsylvania's reptiles and amphibians, with distribution maps and estimates of their specific population statuses. "Collectors Threaten Wildlife," Pocono Record, Nov. 26, 2006

Nowadays, with sign language and devices such as video phones, deaf people can get along well. Medical people see deafness as a problem to be fixed, but it really isn’t, said Dr. Nancy Benham, assistant professor for education of person with hearing loss at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. “Deafness is not something broken or bad, so why would you fix it?” asked Benham, who isn’t deaf, but who with her husband has adopted a deaf girl. "Woman finds life after hearing loss," Altoona Mirror, Nov. 13, 2006

The majority of men arraigned in a domestic violence crime a decade ago in Quincy District Court re-abused an intimate partner over the following 10 years, according to a study built on years of research that challenges conventional wisdom about the behavior of male batterers. The study is the first of its kind to follow a group for so long, many researchers said, and contradicts the prevailing view among researchers that, regardless of the intervention they receive, most men do not abuse their partners again. Edward Gondolf, research director at the Mid-Atlantic Addiction Training Institute at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, has done research specifically focusing on men who went through a batterers' intervention program in four cities. His study examined victims' reports and arrest records to conclude that nearly half of the men in the study abused their partners again over the following four years. But Gondolf also noted that the violence tapered off significantly. At the end of four years, 90 percent of the men had not re-assaulted a partner in the previous year. "We went in with... the 'scared straight' assumption. After going to court, being sent to this batterers' program... the guy would come in, smile, and sit on their hands and play pretty until they got out of the program," Gondolf said. "What seems to happen is it takes some time, first of all, for men... to put on the brakes." "Most men re-offend, says study of battering; Longest look to date paints a darker picture," Boston Globe, Nov. 9, 2006

A number of Zimbabweans in the U.S. diaspora participated in the American midterm elections as observers, among them associate journalism professor Stanford Mukasa of Indiana University in Indiana, Pennsylvania. Mukasa said he was most impressed by the neutral of the U.S. government as such in the elections despite pre-election indications that voter sentiment was running against the administration of Republican President George W. Bush. His party lost control of the U.S. House with control of the Senate still in the balance late Wednesday. Zimbabwean Election Observer Applauds Neutrality Of U.S. Government, Voice of America, Nov. 8, 2006

Over eight days, the Tibetan Buddhist monks worked. Hunched over a table, they painstakingly placed individual grains of colored sand into a design that became clearer with each passing day. Reds, blues, greens and yellows melded together to form a mandala sand painting at the Hadley Union Building on the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus. In a matter of minutes, the millions of grains of sand and all the intense work that went into it were swept away in a ceremony of music and chanting that drew hundreds to watch. The message: Nothing in life is permanent. "Mandala's message: Nothing is permanent," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Nov. 7, 2006

An Indiana University of Pennsylvania official says the school has cut the list of possible nicknames for its sports teams to three candidates: the Crimson Hawks, the Crimson Thunder and the Gray Wolves. IUP, which has crimson and gray as its school colors, has been without a nickname for its teams since the university's trustees in September decided to drop the "Indians" nickname. The move came after the NCAA in April rejected a second appeal by the university to retain the nickname. The short list of new nicknames was compiled from suggestions submitted online and at public forums, IUP Vice President Robert Davies said. The trustees are expected to recommend a new nickname at a Dec. 15 meeting, Davies said. More offbeat proposals had included the "Fighting Squirrels" and the "Hellbenders." Squirrels are common on campus, and the hellbender salamander is native to the area. "University comes up with short list of nicknames," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Nov. 5, 2006

Indiana University of Pennsylvania announced its short list of nominees for a new mascot - Crimson Hawks, Crimson Thunder and Gray Wolves. The university has been without a nickname for its sports teams since September, when it decided to stop using "Indians" at the behest of the NCAA. The school's colors are crimson and gray. More offbeat proposals had included the "Fighting Squirrels" and the "Hellbenders." Squirrels are common on campus, and the hellbender salamander is native to the area. IUP's trustees are expected to recommend their choice in December, according to the university. Associated Press, Nov. 3, 2006

By the end of the year, Indiana University of Pennsylvania fans will be cheering for teams of another name. After listening to suggestions via an online poll and two public forums in September, university officials have trimmed the list of possible nicknames to Crimson Hawks, Crimson Thunder and Gray Wolves. One of the names will replace the Indians nickname the teams have used since the 1930s. Crimson and gray are the university's colors. "Choices narrowed to 3 for new IUP nickname," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Nov. 3, 2006

Roxanne Buncich is the bridge between cultures. Buncich is the English as a Second Language, or ESL, instructor for the North Star School District. She has worked with Chinese, Russian and Spanish-speaking pupils at Central Elementary School in Boswell. The children know English, but it is not their primary language at home. Buncich not only helps them strengthen their English comprehension skills, but she also must research their culture. She uses her early-education degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania to get back to basics with her pupils. "Teacher bridges cultural gap," Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, Nov. 1, 2006
 

October 2006

In the year since Indiana University of Pennsylvania began taking a hard look at substance abuse among its students, the high-profile incidents that had put a negative spotlight on the campus have not been repeated. But university officials and the police chief responsible for keeping the peace between students and the community at-large agree that only time will tell whether things have taken a turn for the better. "IUP, police: Surface progress good start," Greensburg Tribune-Review, Oct. 29, 2006

Goals, first set in 1999 legislation, call for 3 percent of federal contracts to go to businesses owned by service-disabled veterans. President Bush emphasized the measure with an executive order in 2004. ... he SBA operates five regional Veterans Business Outreach Centers, including one at Robert Morris University in Moon. California University of Pennsylvania and Indiana University of Pennsylvania offer procurement technical assistance centers as does the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission in Pittsburgh. "Fighting for federal contracts," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Oct. 29, 2006

When 41 cadets graduated from the State Highway Patrol Academy yesterday, 16 did so with bumps, bruises and other reminders of training safety officials say could save their lives... But the number of injuries should raise concern, said R. Paul McCauley, a criminology professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pa. "The question is, is there something defective or wrong with the trainers, the equipment and the training protocols?" said McCauley, who has researched police training. "Injuries all part of keeping troopers alive, patrol says," Columbus Dispatch, Oct. 28, 2006

To better the odds of snagging one of these awards, experts offer advice that applies generally to the college search: Start early. ... "You really should be applying in fall for the next year," said Patricia McCarthy, director of financial aid at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She said parents should check with employers since many offer scholarships for children of workers. Civic and religious organizations are good sources of aid, too. But be mindful of scams. "I always tell parents to be cautious of any searches that cost money," Ms. McCarthy said. "If a letter comes in the mail and says $30 will guarantee you a scholarship of some kind, be wary. "Having assorted talents proves to be beneficial," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Oct. 25, 2006

Learning how to pay for higher education is an education in itself. ... It requires throwing away myths that only straight-A students get scholarships and money for needy students will suddenly appear. ... Many students miss out simply because they don't meet the deadlines, said Patricia McCarthy, director of financial aid at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In the State System of Higher Education, schools can provide board of governors' scholarships -- merit awards that cover tuition -- to up to 2 percent of their students as tuition waivers. But they can't use any tuition or state money to fund scholarships, so it's up to the schools to raise scholarship money to meet need and reward merit. Availability of such scholarships -- both to meet need and reward merit -- varies by campus, depending how much is raised. California, Clarion Edinboro, Indiana and Slippery Rock universities of Pennsylvania all have some non-need-based awards, but none of them meets an average of 100 percent of students' financial need. "When it comes to paying for college, research is the key," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Oct. 25, 2006

The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art is trying to capture the talent of artists past and present with two exhibitions — the annual “Artists in Our Midst,” featuring approximately 65 juried works at the Altoona facility by Art in Common members, and “Artists of the Commonwealth: Realism and its Response in Pennsylvania Painting, 1900-1950,” Susan Palmisano, professor of painting at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, had the task of sifting through the approximately 300 entries from the nearly 100 Art in Common members to decide which works would be featured in the exhibition. "Pennsylvania art: SAMA Altoona features local artists," Altoona Mirror, Oct. 23, 2006

The Game and Fisheries Committee... the commission, together with researchers from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, is beginning two other elk studies. One will examine elk habitat use; the other will study elk food habits. Both studies are being funded in part by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. They are meant to give land managers the information needed to better manage their properties for elk habitat. "Outdoors Notebook," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Sept. 15, 2006

Kris Griffin wants to be a starting linebacker some day in the National Football League. As he bides his time, he wants to be the best special teams player he can be for the Kansas City Chiefs.... That will be his role today at Heinz Field when the Chiefs (2-2) play the Steelers (1-3).  "I was happy to make the team last year," said Griffin, a Rochester High School graduate who earned a roster spot as an undrafted free agent out of Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  "Griffin Comes Home," Beaver County-Times, Oct. 15, 2006

The Indiana University of Pennsylvania marching band, one of the premier college marching bands in the state, will perform during the Williamsport Area High School’s annual marching band competition Oct. 21 at the Williamsport Area High School football field. The IUP marching band is nicknamed “The Legend” because of its 85-year history of playing a blend of classical and contemporary music and demanding, intricate marching formations. One of the contributing factors of the band’s success is its leadership, under the direction of Dr. David Martyniuk, and other student section leaders. Each student section leader is instrumental in directing and inspiring his or her instrument section to become the best in the band by means of a friendly competition called “zucchini” during the summer band camp. Two of the student leaders from this area are Nicholas Lenio, a first-year drum major and 2005 graduate of Hughesville High School, and Erica Sechler, a second-year drum major and 2003 graduate of Williamsport Area High School. A number of students are drawn to IUP, as Sechler said she was, due to the quality of its marching band. The IUP band has performed at a variety of events over the years. In 1987, it was the official band at the U.S. Constitution bicentennial celebration, where they received the attention of Jacques Chirac, mayor of Paris, who requested that the band perform at the America’s Day celebration of the French bicentennial in 1989. The band has performed in Washington, D.C.; the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade; and at a number of pro-football halftimes including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. The band also performs annually at a number of high school festivals in Pennsylvania and nearby states, and at the college band exhibition in Allentown. "IUP’s ‘The Legend’ to perform Oct. 21 in Williamsport," Williamsport Sun-Gazette, Oct. 16, 2006
 

For Kermit the Frog, it’s not easy being green. But across academia, colleges and universities are finding it easier— and more advantageous—than ever before. In the world of higher education as elsewhere, “green” refers to the adoption of responsible environmental practices. In the state of Pennsylvania, for instance, Pittsburgh-based WTW Architects has helped a number of colleges and universities launch projects that fall into the green category. Hank Colker, a principal with the firm, says these efforts are a “combination of common sense and high technology...” Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where special contractors have been hired to demolish out-of-date buildings and recycle them as clean landfill. "The Changing Face of Auxiliary Services," Campus Technology Magazine, Oct. 1, 2006

September 2006

As the 2007 Defense Appropriation Bill makes its way through Congress, several local companies and universities are included among those which will receive continued funding, U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, said Monday. Indiana University of Pennsylvania will receive funding for the continuation of an effort to create and demonstrate a National Emergency and Disaster Information System for use by first responders and Penn State University, working with the Electro Optics Center in Armstrong County, will receive funding for the development of an urban terrain mapping system in conjunction with the Marine Corps Research University. The bill is expected to be approved by the House and Senate and sent to the White House for signature by the President. "Defense bill may pay off for area companies," Kittanning Leader-Times, Sept. 26, 2006

Students at Dayton Elementary School are getting the chance to try some fresh fruits and vegetables they may have never tasted before as part of a program to get them excited about eating better. The sampling at the school is possible by a grant through the federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program administered by Pennsylvania's Department of Education in which students receive healthier school meals and an expanded selection of more nutritional food. Sarah Goldstein is a graduate student in nutrition and a dietetic intern from Indiana University of Pennsylvania who is working in the district's food and nutrition services department. She designed the health-fair program for the school. "The goal of the health fair is to introduce the students to new fruits and vegetables and to get them aware of all the different types out there," Goldstein said. "They haven't seen or heard of some of them. They're really liking them." Next Monday in the Dayton Elementary School gym, Indiana University of Pennsylvania interns will dress like vegetables and play the roles of Pete the Pea, Callie Carrot, Patty the Potato, Betty Broccoli and Steve the Spinach in "Vacation with the Vegetable Family." The original play will show students how each vegetable has a unique benefit for the body. "Dayton Elementary students get taste of the exotic," Kittanning Leader-Times, Sept. 26, 2006

Fishers -- long, furry animals related to weasels -- were considered extinct in Pennsylvania through much of the 20th century, but are making a comeback. Reported sightings have more than tripled in the last four years, from 106 in 2002 to 341 in 2005. "I think that says something about the habitat conditions that we have here in southwestern Pennsylvania," said Jeff Larkin, a wildlife biologist at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana County. "It appears as though this landscape is a good one for fishers -- they just needed to be reintroduced." ... Their population in the state seems to have greatly expanded in the past several years, prompting the Game Commission to partner with Indiana University of Pennsylvania on a three-year, $158,000 study largely paid for by the federal government. "Fishers gaining 'treehold' in area," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Sept. 25, 2006

Since Indiana University of Pennsylvania's athletic teams won't be called the "Indians" any longer, students and others attending a forum Friday offered ideas -- some unusual and some tried-and-true. Will IUP be known as the "Hellbenders" or the "Fighting Squirrels"? Maybe the teams will stick with their current mascot and call themselves the "Bears," or steal a page from the University of Georgia and go with the "Bulldogs." The ideas are endless for the teams known since the 1930s as Indians. But officials at IUP know one thing -- the university officially will change its nickname by the end of the academic year. "IUP forum explores alternative for 'Indians'," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Sept. 23, 2006

Roger White, who directs the criminology program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, believes that revenge is the most common arson motive for adults. "It could be pure spite or jealousy. Sometimes it's a form of vandalism. Sometimes it's done to conceal a crime like burglary or a death," he said. "Occasionally, it's a diversionary tactic used to attract attention while a crime is being done elsewhere. But we don't see that much," White said. "Motive may be tied to age of arsonists," Valley News Dispatch, Sept. 17, 2006

The 14 state-owned universities contribute nearly $4.5 billion to Pennsylvania's economy, including $1.8 billion in Western Pennsylvania, according to the State System of Higher Education. The study estimates that California University of Pennsylvania has a total economic impact of $267.5 million in 2003-04; Clarion, $287.9 million; Edinboro, $336.7 million; Indiana, $563.8 million; and Slippery Rock, $309.6 million. The system's economic impact has nearly doubled since 1995-1996, when the last study of this type was done. The system ranks as the state's 15th largest employer, with 12,212 workers. "State-owned schools add $4.5B to economy, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Sept. 15, 2006

For printmaker and installation artist Patricia Villalobos Echeverria change is a beautiful thing. A recipient of a Creative Heights Initiative grant from the Heinz Endowments, the associate professor of printmaking at Indiana University of Pennsylvania has spent the last year creating prints and video installations, on and off, at Artist Image Resource on the North Side. Now, her yearlong residency has culminated in the exhibition, "Aflujo-Afflux," which opened last weekend at the North Side institution known for experimental printmaking. "Into the deep," Greensburg Tribune-Review, Sept. 14, 2006

Fishers have a reputation as one of the most elusive of all Pennsylvania animals, but 18 of the foxlike forest predators were recently fitted with small radio collars that literally broadcast their movements on the airwaves. Armed with handheld antennas and over-the-shoulder battery packs, wildlife researchers are criss-crossing the remote forests of Bedford, Blair and Cambria counties in an effort to learn the size of a fisher's home range and the type of habitat it prefers. The animals involved in the project were trapped last month and will be studied until their transmitter batteries die in about a year and a half. The groundbreaking study, being conducted by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Indiana University of Pennsylvania, will for the first time allow biologists to accurately gauge just how successful fishers have been since their reintroduction more than a decade ago. "Researchers tuning in to the fisher's frequency," Allentown Morning Call, Sept. 12, 2006

Indiana University of Pennsylvania will offer a brief program at 8:40 a.m. in the university's Oak Grove in front of Stapleton Library. Designed as an opportunity for members of the community to reflect collectively on the events of that day, the gathering will include a remembrance of the IUP alumni lost in the World Trade Center -- Donald Jones, 1980; William Moskal, 1979; and William Sugra, 1993. Both Jones and Sugra worked for Cantor Fitzgerald in the north tower of the World Trade Center. Jones was a bond broker who commuted from Bucks County. Sugra lived in Manhattan and worked for e-Speed, the electronic-trading unit of Cantor Fitzgerald. Moskal, a safety-sciences major graduate and Johnstown native, was a risk consultant for Marsh and McLennan in Cleveland, specializing in heavy construction. He was in New York on 9/11 for a meeting at the World Trade Center. In addition to remarks by IUP President Tony Atwater, the program will include music and a poem read by Rosaly Roffman, retired professor of English and published author and poet. The event will include a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., when the first plane hit the World Trade Center "St. Vincent, IUP to conduct 9/11 service," Greensburg Tribune-Review, Sept. 9, 2006

Indiana University of Pennsylvania will host a program at 8:40 a.m. in the university's Oak Grove, in front of Stapleton Library. It is to include a remembrance of IUP alumni lost at the World Trade Center: Donald Jones, class of '80; William Moskal, class of '79; and William Sugra, class of '93. IUP President Tony Atwater will speak. "Bush to reflect on meaning of 9/11 in Monday speech," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sept. 9, 2006

Are beautiful people more intelligent than the rest of us? Satoshi Kanazawa and Jody Kovar think so. In a 17-page study called Why Beautiful People Are More Intelligent, they explain bluntly: "Individuals perceive physically attractive others to be more intelligent than physically unattractive others. While most researchers dismiss this perception as a 'bias' or 'stereotype', we contend that individuals have this perception because beautiful people indeed are more intelligent." Kanazawa is a reader in management and research methodology at the London School of Economics and Political Science who has become a brainy specialist on beauty. He has just published another study, called Beautiful Parents Have More Daughters. Kovar is affiliated with Indiana University of Pennsylvania. "Pretty smart, Beauty and brains - but not if you're blonde," The Guardian, United Kingdom, Sept. 5, 2006

Organizers hoped to reignite the trade union movement by enlisting new members, but one year later, experts remain split on the effects of the bitter AFL-CIO divorce that formed a new labor federation of 6 million members. In Pennsylvania, it's been pretty universally ignored at the grassroots level," said Charles McCollester, a labor studies professor and director of the Pennsylvania Center for the Study of Labor Relations at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. "We don't see a huge impact in terms of raiding and refusing to work together." "Experts split on effects of labor shakeup," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Sept. 4, 2006

August 2006

Chatter about domestic political implications may eclipse discussions about the actual policies Santorum is proposing. But these ideas require critical analysis, according to Bahgat Gawdat, a Middle East specialist at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. This is especially true because -- if re-elected -- Santorum will not be just another senator. He would likely be the second-ranking member of the majority party and has positioned himself to the right of the President on Iran. Gawdat said efforts at securing long-term peace and stability could be hampered by casting the conflict as a holy war. "We are in war in Iraq and we do not want another war, and it is better not to open channels," Gawdat said. "As President Bush said, we should not outsource our foreign policy. For a long time, we've been dependent on Europe in any dialogue with Iran. And we learned that this is the wrong approach." "Santorum 'holy war' speech dissected," Public Radio Capitol News, Aug. 30, 2006

IUP-Punxsutawney freshman Christina Robinson, from Waldorf, Md., is from an area where Baltimore and Washington, D.C., are a hop, skip and a jump away. There are shopping, movies and other activities at her fingertips. She said she's trying to prepare herself for life in Punxsutawney, where things move a little bit slower than in her hometown. “That is going to take some getting used to, living in a small town,” she said. “I was told many times,” Robinson said, “to make your own fun.” IUP-Punxsutawney freshmen - 310 in all - from big towns and small towns packed their laptops, refrigerators and comforts of home into their dorms at the West End campus Saturday, where classes begin today. Robinson and her roommate, Jena Stock of Pittsburgh, are both culinary students. Stock said she chose IUP-Punxsutawney because of the culinary academy's fine reputation. "Movin' on in," Punxsutawney Spirit, Aug. 28, 2006

Mike Bartos of Uniontown discovered his artistic interest in iron sculpture while attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania. "I was there for graphic design and ended up in a sculpture class, that I didn't want to take," he said. "After I found out that sculpture just wasn't building clay heads, but welding stuff together, I decided to major in it, instead of graphic design." Bartos said that he has been somewhat successful in selling his artwork over the years, although it is a hobby, rather than a profession. "Gallery MD adds artists' work," Uniontown Herald-Standard, Aug. 29, 2006
 

Becoming a published novelist was something Lila Shaara "couldn't not do." After all, writing runs in the family. Her late father, Michael, won the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for "The Killer Angels," a fictionalized account of the Battle of Gettysburg that was filmed in 1993. His posthumous novel, "The Love of the Game," was also turned into a Hollywood film. ... The mother of two boys, Shaara was commuting from her Forest Hills home to work as an adjunct professor in cultural anthropology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She also found time to squeeze in the occasional music project with husband Rob Rayshich, a fellow veteran of Pittsburgh's alternative rock scene. When a break came in her IUP schedule in the spring of 2004, Shaara took the opportunity to craft the book she knew she had inside her. Not one to map out an entire plot and merely fill in the details, Shaara began with "characters and situations" and decided to "follow the images and see where they'd go." "Every Secret Thing" is the result, a complex, first-person tale of Gina Paletta, a Victoria's Secret model-turned-professor who is also a widowed mother of two sons. "A literary legacy: Lila Shaara emerges as novelist in her own right," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Aug. 13, 2006

Mike Jemison is hoping the third time brings some charm.The 2001 Greencastle-Antrim graduate signed with the New York Giants on Tuesday and is taking his third crack at an NFL roster spot - his second stint in the Big Apple. Along the way, the running back has had to break the tackles of doubters in finding daylight on an NFL field. Undrafted out of Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2005, Jemison caught on with the Giants as a free agent during camp last year but was let go on September 13. The Steelers then picked him up just days following their Super Bowl win over the Seattle Seahawks in February and shipped him to Germany this spring to play for the Hamburg Sea Devils in NFL Europe. The 5-11, 248-pounder shined in Hamburg, leading the Sea Devils in rushing despite missing four games with a fractured rib. In spite of his overseas success, Jemison was released by the Steelers at the end of the season. "Jemison signs with Giants," Waynesboro Record-Herald, Aug. 12, 2006

Science education at Homer-Center School District will be evolving to a new level over the next three years, as the district plans to bolster its faculty training, curriculum resources and classroom equipment in that subject area, through the Rural Science and Technology Education Project (RSTEP). Surrounding school districts also will be able to tap into the Homer-Center science program, to train teachers and develop curriculum once the center is in place. Also, the center will work with Indiana University of Pennsylvania to conduct research on a regional and statewide basis. "Federal funding to enhance science at H-C," Blairsville Dispatch, Aug. 4, 2006

July 2006

A bleached, white jellyfish could be found swimming near a walkway by Mr. Looney’s pond. According to Terry Peard, professor of biology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, they were most likely looking for food. "They eat zooplankton, and there was probably a large conglomeration of the plankton near the walkway," Mr. Peard said. While Mr. Looney was unsure of exactly where the jellyfish might have originated from, Mr. Peard helped shed light on the subject. "My guess is the jellyfish attached to some type of underwater plants in the polyp stage," Mr. Peard said. "Mr. Looney said he has quite a bit of water fowl visit, so they were most likely picked up by one of the birds." Mr. Peard also stated the jellyfish are quite common. "People think it’s rare and unusual because so many people haven’t seen them," Mr. Peard said. "But this situation is that they may show up where people have never seen them before." Mr. Peard said with the large population of jellyfish in the pond, it’s likely the jellyfish will disappear before too much time passes, but he said they would remain in the lake in polyp stage. "We’ve had dishes of polyps here at the lab that have been around for over 20 years," Mr. Peard said. Mr. Peard said these jellyfish would not harm humans. While they are able to sting, most skin is too thick for the sting to be felt. "I’ve been to ponds where kids were swimming and they came out with just loads of jellyfish in their hair," Mr. Peard said laughing. "Jellyfish visit Upstate," Anderson Independent-Mail, Mt. Pleasant, S.C., July 30, 2006

Throwing a straw or a cottonball might not seem to have anything to do with math, but to the creative teacher, it has everything to do with math. If the students were to estimate their throws, measure them, calculate the margin of error and the average margin of error, then the activity would be full of math. That's precisely the idea behind the "Measurement Olympics," one of several creative ideas to bring hands-on activities into math classes in the Armstrong School District. It was presented as part of a two-day seminar for math teachers at Kittanning High School this week. "Rather than looking at a book and seeing pictures of someone measuring something, the kids get down and measure it themselves," said Larry Feldman, a mathematics professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania who was one of three instructors conducting the seminar. "Teachers take measure," Kittanning Leader-Times, July 29, 2006

Here at the South Fork Fishing & Hunting clubhouse during the 1880s, savvy businessmen such as Andrew Mellon, Henry Clay Frick and Andrew Carnegie strolled a boardwalk on the shores of Cambria County's Lake Conemaugh. It was a summer playground for Pittsburgh's elite, where vacationers sailed, rowed, fished for black bass or hunted wild ducks. Some families built cottages on the private lake; others bunked at this red clubhouse with white trim, circa 1881. Meanwhile, more mysteries are being uncovered. This summer, the clubhouse grounds are the site of a dig by a team of archaeologists from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, who uncovered a terrace behind the structure, indicating that a garden may have existed there. "National Park Service to acquire South Fork club, which was at heart of Johnstown disaster," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 18, 2006

A ghostly fleet of wrecks turns up possibly centuries later, during an archaeological treasure hunt off of Jamestown Island. To the untrained eye, the waters surrounding Jamestown Island look unusually natural and well preserved -- mimicking the untouched landscape that the first English settlers saw nearly 400 years ago. ... Ducking under the surface, they mark the measurements with their fingertips, then bob back up to shout their readings to intern Steve Brock of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. "Submerged history at Jamestown: Diving into the past,"  Chicago Tribune, July 15, 2006

An underground room discovered at the 1889 South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club House is generating a lot of speculation. “It’s outside the building and below ground level,” said Susanne Haney, project director with Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s archeological services. “There had been an addition to the structure, so we know it’s definitely not part of the original building, but we don’t know when it was built.” "Artifacts, room found in South Fork," Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, July 10, 2006
 

Petty Officer Bill Weber, the assistant events coordinator for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, has the job of making sure their practice and demonstration space is clear. After graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2003 with a degree in criminal justice, Petty Officer Weber wanted to try something new, something interesting that would let him travel, so he joined the Navy. "I didn't know what I'd do, where I'd go. I didn't know what would happen next. That was the allure," he said. The Blue Angels, based in Pensacola, Fla., travel around the country nearly every weekend from mid-March to mid-November for about 70 shows. "Blue Angels fly with local ties, Mt. Lebanon native helps elite flying squadron get off the ground," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 7, 2006

June 2006

The (United School District) board also agreed to continue for another year a concurrent enrollment agreement with Indiana University of Pennsylvania. This past spring semester, when the program was launched, a state grant allowed recently graduated senior Sherry Duncan to attend two courses at IUP during part of the school day. She received college credit for the work she completed. Dan Henning, United's director of educational services, said the district is applying for an additional grant in hopes of sending one or more students to IUP during the 2006-07 school year. "New health post filled at United Elementary," Blairsville Dispatch, June 30, 2006