Penn State students have a history of volunteerism and community service. However, the students will be on the receiving end as the campus' Christian Student Fellowship (CSF) will be distributing care packages to new and returning students. The event will take place on Tuesday, August 26, from 7:30-8:30 p.m., at the Ivy House Residence Hall. While the event takes place at the residence halls, the CSF stresses that all students are welcome to come and receive a free package.

This is the second year for the care package distribution. The items in the care packages were donated by local churches and contain pre-packaged food, supplies, and various other back-to-school items that may be of use to students.

According to Dave Hershey, adviser for CSF, "I had been working with CSF for a couple years and was thinking of ways that the group of Christian students could do a simple act of love for their peers. I also knew there were a lot of churches in the area who wanted to reach out to college students.

Putting those two points together, I asked several churches to donate care packages to hand out the first week of school. We handed out the packages without asking students to sign up for anything or to give us their phone numbers. The point was for it to be a no-strings-attached act of love."

For more information, contact Dave Hershey at campusminister_dave@yahoo.com.

The first Penn State Berks Advisory Board formed in 1959 to assist what was then called the Wyomissing Center of The Pennsylvania State University. Today, advisory board members continue to serve Penn State Berks and help the college reach its goals through connections with the community.

Keith Ordemann, Chief Executive Officer of Yuasa Battery, was named chairperson of the board; John Weidenhammer, President of Weidenhammer Systems Corp., was named vice chairperson; and Ann Moll, President of Gallen Insurance, was named financial secretary.

In addition, the college inducted the following board members.

• Kevin S. Barnhardt - County Commissioner for Berks County
• Paula K. Barrett - Certified Public Accountant and Partner, Reinsel Kuntz Lesher, LLP
• Irvin Cohen - Penn State Class of 1950, retired President of Construction Fasteners, Inc.
• Scott Gruber - President of Central Region, National Penn Bank
• Robert D. Harrop - Vice President of Human Resources, East Penn Manufacturing Co., Inc.
• Richard Mable - Senior Vice President of Planning and Business Development, Reading Hospital and Medical Center
• Gary L. Romig Jr.- Penn State Class of 1980, President, Summit Steel and Manufacturing
• Donald F. Schalk - President and COO, C.H. Briggs Company
• Pat Schuster - General Manager of Polychem Systems Division of Brentwood Industries, Inc.
• Ed Shultz - Senior Vice President Director of Communications, Sovereign Bank

Penn State Berks has completed the five-year provisional process and obtained full National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Membership, as announced on the NCAA Web site on Wednesday August 13, 2008.  

The process actually began when Chancellor Susan Phillips Speece joined Penn State Berks in 2001 and decided that it was time to make a change with the college's athletic programs. In 2003, the college started the NCAA Division III provisional process, beginning the transition from the Commonwealth Campus Athletic Conference to the North Eastern Athletic Conference.

"When you look at why students select schools, one of the criteria is the quality of the athletic programs," explains Speece. "As a result of our involvement in NCAA, it is fair to state that at a minimum, 125 students came to Penn State Berks."

"Each year, approximately thirty-five of our student athletes receive scholar-athlete awards, which mean that they have a GPA of 3.0 or better. While our main goal is providing outstanding educational opportunities for our students, some of that education and leadership training comes from the co-curricular experiences, the most prominent being athletics."

The college's acceptance as full members of the NCAA Division III will create new opportunities for student athletes to compete at the national level. Penn State Berks is competing in the North Eastern Athletic Conference, which is comprised of schools across New York and Pennsylvania. The NEAC champions in the nine major sports sponsored will receive automatic qualifiers into the NCAA tournament.

In the college's five years in the conference, there has been success at all levels.

• The Women's Tennis Team captured three conference championships in 2004, 2006, and 2007.
• The Men's Tennis Team captured two conference championships in 2005 and 2008.
• Following the 2007-2008 year, Berks placed thirty-five players on NEAC All-Conference Teams, in addition to the Women's Basketball and Men's Tennis players of the year.

"Now that we are fully vetted into NCAA, Penn State Berks will focus on the development of athletics facilities on campus to make us more competitive with other NCAA Division III institutions," comments Speece. "In order to provide the kind of facilities that reflect our excellence, we will be looking to add scoreboards for our athletic fields, dugouts on our baseball and softball fields, shot clocks for our basketball teams, tables for our basketball games, and chairs for basketball and volleyball games."

For more information, contact Kate Corcoran, Athletic Compliance Officer and Sports Information Director at Penn State Berks, at 610-396-6415.

Delton Martin recently presented his paper of original undergraduate research, "An Investigation of Acceleration and Jerk Profiles of Public Transportation Vehicles," at the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) annual conference and expo in Pittsburgh, PA.

Martin's undergraduate research involved finding ways to measure and analyze jerk on public transportation systems. His results show that that the values of jerk attained on a public subway train in Washington, D.C. were significantly higher than the capability of a person to remain balanced while standing. However, tailoring of the deceleration curve over the last few seconds of the displacement could greatly reduce the effects of jerk.

The ASEE conference ran from June 22-25, 2008 and is an international event.

Martin graduated from Penn State Berks this spring with a bachelor's degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology and is currently working at Avanceon in Exton, PA as an electrical controls engineer.

The Penn State Berks Literary Arts Series will host a reading of Pennsylvania Seasons: Commonwealth Images and Poetry, which captures the mood of all four seasons by pairing photography with verse from local poets. The event will take place Wednesday, August 27, at 7:30 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room and it is free and open to the public.

Editor Esther Davidowitz and photographer Henry F. Smith will present the book, followed by a reading from area poets Ken Fifer, Michael D. Riley, and Barbara Crooker, among others.

The Literary Arts Series, now in its sixth year, is supported by gifts to the college, the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Division, and by a grant from Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts, a state grant of the National Endowment for the Arts, administered locally by the Berks Arts Council.

For more information, contact Jayne Brown, coordinator of the Literary Arts Series and senior lecturer in English at Penn State Berks, at 610-396-6041 or via e-mail at jrb30@psu.edu.

The international bestseller The Alchemist by Paul Coelho is encouraging students, faculty, and staff at Penn State Berks to follow their dreams as the entire college community participates in the fourth annual Common Reading Program.

The Alchemist tells us the story of a young shepherd named Santiago who seeks a treasure known only to him in his dreams. Under the guidance of several people he encounters along the way, Santiago embarks on a journey with the advice from a mystifying old man, "To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation," he tells Santiago. "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

At Penn State Berks, faculty and staff are eager to be guides to students in their journeys toward realizing their educational and career goals, and celebrating their successes with them at commencement and beyond. The many lessons Santiago experiences along his expedition remind us of our own personal journeys and the lessons learned inside and outside the classroom.

In 2005, the common reading initiative was born.  Each year, a work is chosen by faculty and staff for the program, which is part of every first-year seminar curriculum. Since then, our campus community has engaged in dialogue surrounding issues of global conservation, diversity, ethics and integrity, and this year's topic of wellness.  Common reading selections from prior years include: Gaviotas  by Alan Weisman, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, and Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlossinger.

"We designed the first-year experience to meet the goals of creating diverse learning opportunities and giving incoming students a chance to connect with fellow classmates prior to beginning their new academic life," says Valerie Rowe, coordinator of the Common Reading Program and instructor in Kinesiology.

However the program is not limited to the first-year seminar; it ties together all aspects of campus living through its inclusion in the orientation program, residence life activities, lecture series, and service opportunities. It also unites the campus community through faculty and staff participation.

On Saturday, August 23, the day after first-year students move into the residence halls, they will break into First Year Seminar groups to discuss The Alchemist from 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. The discussion will continue when classes begin on Monday, August 25 in the First Year Seminar classes.

The college will host a free lecture by Patrick Combs titled "The Alchemist Applied to Real Life" on Thursday, September 25, at 7:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

Penn State Berks will welcome nearly 400 first-year members to its residential community as part of the campus' annual orientation program on Friday, August 22, 2008. Students will move into the residence halls from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. There will be a welcome reception/ice cream social for students and their families from 12:00-3:30 p.m., which will be attended by Chancellor Susan Phillips Speece, as well as faculty, staff, and alumni of the college at the Alumni Pavilion.

In an effort to establish connections with parents and families, Penn State Berks will present a parent's orientation following the welcome reception from 4:00-5:30 p.m. This session will address how families can support their student. In the meantime, incoming students will attend a residential student orientation from 4:00-7:00 p.m. This program is geared toward providing keys to successful residence hall living.

The Penn State Berks Orientation Program is staffed by approximately eighty orientation leaders, twenty-three resident assistants, and other college staff members who make every effort to help students and their families to make a smooth transition to college life.

Thursday, August 21: Commuter Student Welcome Picnic and Orientation Program, 5:00-7:30 p.m.

Friday, August 22:  New students move in to the residence halls, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Ice cream social with faculty, staff, and alumni, 12:00-3:30 p.m., Alumni Pavilion

Saturday, August 23: Students break into First Year Seminar groups to discuss the common reading, The Alchemist, 1:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m.

Sunday, August 24: Returning students move in to the residence halls, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Adult and Transfer Student Orientation, 11:00 a.m- 1:00 p.m.
Resource and Club Fair, 2:30-5:30 p.m., Perkins Student Center Lawn
Open Mic Night, 8:30 p.m., Perkins Student Center Auditorium

For more information on orientation programs, please visit the Orientation & First Year Experience web site or contact Campus Life at 610-396-6076.

Penn State Berks' Office of Admissions will hold a free Application Night to help prospective students with the application process on Monday, August 18, 2008, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center. Students will be provided step-by-step instructions on completing their Penn State admissions application. The program also offers an overview of Penn State University. An optional tour of the Berks campus will begin at 6:00 pm. To learn more about this program, degree options, upcoming open houses, or to schedule a campus tour, please contact the Admissions Office at 610-396-6060.

The Wall Street West project was designed to provide New York financial companies a place to back up data during a crisis, such as the attacks Sept. 11, 2001. If another catastrophe occurs in New York City, a huge reserve of data could potentially be lost. Under the Wall Street West initiative, financial information would be transmitted to Pennsylvania through fiber-optic lines.

According to Dr. Abdullah Konak, Assistant Professor of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State Berks, a study in the nine-county Wall Street West region found that only six percent of high school students were interested in jobs in information technology. The camp is offered to help cultivate interest in the information technology field among high school students.

The camp, developed by Konak, exposes students to careers in computer security, particularly in the financial services industry.

If students get early experience with computers, they might develop an interest in the sort of jobs that Wall Street West would create, Konak said. He also hopes to train local high school teachers to use the technology in their classrooms.

"There is a huge demand for information-security specialists," he said. "Hopefully, we will increase the students' interest in this area."

Penn State Berks aims to help achieve this goal by "reaching out to regional high schools, creating collaborations and transferring educational technology between the higher education institutions in the region, and professional development in information assurance and risk analysis education," said Walt Fullam, Director of Continuing Education at Penn State Berks. "Penn State Berks is uniquely positioned to serve this niche."

In addition to Penn State Berks, Reading Area Community College has also been selected to help develop programs to train workers in information security.

The Wall Street West partnership, based in Bethlehem, recently awarded more than $500,000 in grants to develop programming to boost the financial-services workforce in northeastern Pennsylvania. Colleges, agencies and businesses are working on the project in Berks, Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike and Wayne counties.

As part of Penn State Berks' 50th anniversary, the college is hosting 50 events throughout the year. Three of these events will be held on Sunday, May 18: the Concours D'Elegance Car Show, Junior League Touch-a-Truck event, and West Reading/Wyomissing Rotary Club Chicken Bar-B-Q.

The Concours D'Elegance Car Show, which will feature some of the most exotic and expensive cars from around the country, will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the student parking lots off Broadcasting Road. The car show will be located in the lot closest to the Beaver Community Center. Admission for this event is free.

The Junior League of Reading will host its third annual Touch-a-Truck event, a community-based, family-oriented fundraising event, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Franco Building parking lot off Broadcasting Road. Admission is $5, and children under age 2 can participate for free. More than 35 trucks, fire engines, police cars, heavy equipment, motorcycles, dump trucks, cranes, and numerous other types of vehicles will be available to give children a chance to experience a wonderful hands-on experience.

In addition, the West Reading/Wyomissing Rotary Club chicken Bar-B-Q will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and will feature chicken bar-b-q with cheesy potatoes, baked beans, macaroni salad, and a roll with butter for $8. It will be located under the tent in front of the Perkins Student Center.

The day's events will also feature an appearance by local radio station Frank FM, as well as a performance by alternative rock band Johnny Action Figure.

For more information about Penn State Berks' 50th anniversary, visit our 50th anniversary web pages.

Approximately 180 students will receive baccalaureate and associate degrees when Penn State Berks holds its annual spring commencement, beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, 2008 in the Beaver Community Center.

The keynote speaker will be Anne Stevens, who was appointed Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Carpenter Technology Corporation on November 1, 2006. Carpenter Technology Corporation produces and distributes specialty alloys, including stainless steel, titanium alloys, super alloys, and various engineered products. Stevens is the first female CEO in the company's 117-year history.

Previously, Stevens was Executive Vice President, Ford Motor Company; and Chief Operating Officer, The Americas. In this position, she had overall responsibility for leading the Ford's core operations in The Americas, including product development, manufacturing, and purchasing. Stevens was the first female executive vice president in company history.

She also served as Vice President of North American Vehicle Operations with responsibility for nearly thirty plants in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. She is a nationally recognized expert in operational excellence and lean manufacturing and delivered record improvements in quality and productivity. Prior to joining Ford Motor Company in 1990, Stevens held engineering, manufacturing, and marketing positions at Exxon Corporation.

She was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, and earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical and materials engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia. She completed graduate work at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. and received an honorary doctorate degree in communications sciences from Central Michigan University and an honorary doctorate degree in business science from Cleary University.

Stevens serves on the Lockheed Martin board of directors. She is a member of the executive advisory board of the Juran Center for Leadership in Quality at the University of Minnesota.

In 2000, Stevens received the prestigious Shingo Leadership Award and later was appointed to the Shingo Prize Board of Governors. In 2003, she received the Eli Whitney Award from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. She was named a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2004 and also was honored with a distinguished service citation from the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Stevens has been named four times to Fortune magazine's list of "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" and was named by Automotive News as a 2005 "Leading Woman in the North American Automotive Industry." In 2006, she received the 360 Leadership Award from Wf 360, LLC and in May of 2008, she was named to the "Best 50 Women in Business" list by the State of Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development.

Guadalupe Kasper, Penn State Educational Partnership Program (PEPP) Program Manager and adjunct faculty member at Penn State Berks, has been featured in Berks County Women in History, Profiles, volume 2.

An initiative of the Berks County Commission for Women, the book honors women who have contributed to the quality of life in Berks County from the seventeenth century to the present.

An excerpt from her biography highlights her dedication to community service.

"Kasper is co-founder of the Latina Gathering of the City of Reading and Berks County, an organization dedicated to preserving Latina culture and empowering Latinas toward positions of leadership. Guadalupe has served in various capacities throughout Berks County as an advocate for the local Latino Community, including the American Dream Project, which advocates for local immigrant populations; as a consultant for local museums; and has contributed to improving access to higher education for urban Latino students. Guadalupe has conducted ethnographic research in education within the Philadelphia School District, as well as within the workforce environment in Reading and Berks County."

Kasper earned her master's degree in Anthropology from Temple University and her bachelor's degree in Anthropology and Spanish from Shippensburg University.

To order a copy of the book, visit the publisher's Web site: www.tudorgatepress.com.

Dr. Janelle Larson has recently been named head of the Engineering, Business, and Computing (EBC) Division at Penn State Berks.

In this position, Larson will participate in program development and evaluation, oversee long-range planning and acquisition of external funding for the division, and act as an advocate for the faculty.

Larson joined Penn State Berks in 1995 as Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics and was named Associate Professor in 2002. Prior to her appointment in the position, Larson served as interim head of the EBC Division since 2006.

Her primary research interests include international and domestic rural economic development and land tenure issues; land titling and land markets in Latin America; the effects of development on agriculture in urbanizing areas domestically; and immigrant labor in the agricultural workforce.

Larson holds a doctorate in philosophy and a master's degree in agricultural economics, both from the University of Oxford in England. She also holds two bachelor's degrees: one in interdisciplinary social sciences and one in animal sciences and industry from Kansas State University. She was named a Rhodes Scholar in 1990.

"I'm very honored to have been asked to serve as Division Head by my peers and colleagues," comments Larson. "I've enjoyed working with the faculty and staff in the division, as well as the college administration over the past year-and-a-half as interim division head, and I'm pleased to be able to continue."

"I'm looking forward to working with colleagues in the division and across the college to provide opportunities for students to learn about themselves and the world in which they live. In addition, through our research, teaching, and outreach, Penn State Berks has the potential to have a positive impact on the Berks community and beyond."

Dr. Michael Fidanza, Associate Professor of Horticulture at Penn State Berks, has been awarded the Northeastern Weed Science Society (NEWSS) Outstanding Educator Award for 2008.

The NEWSS Outstanding Educator award recognizes educators that contribute through outreach or resident instruction in weed science and weed management. Award criteria include significant impact within an educational program regarding weed management practices and innovative educational programs that enhance weed management systems, including innovative teaching methods.

The award was presented at a Conference on the Effect of Climate Change on Weeds, on January 8, 2008, in Philadelphia.

Dr. E. Michele Ramsey, Associate Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS) and Women's Studies and coordinator of the Communication Arts and Sciences degree program at Penn State Berks, recently received the Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Equity (CLGBTE) Award for Excellence in Curricular Integration.

The award honors individuals who strive to improve the climate at Penn State for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons, specifically through curricular integration efforts.
According to the CLGBTE, the award acknowledges individuals because, within the framework of traditional program, departmental, or college structures, the creation of LGBT-related courses is often not encouraged nor appreciated. In addition to the difficulties in the creation of LGBT courses, faculty members often face the possibility of serious socio-political backlash. Such backlash is often due to the discomfort levels and/or direct opposition of many toward legitimizing LGBT issues within the curriculum.

"I'm honored to be recognized by the CLGBTE for my efforts to integrate LGBT issues into the curricula, but I must give a good deal of credit to the discipline of Communication Arts and Sciences and to our CAS students in the major and minor here at Berks," comments Ramsey.

 "I credit my discipline of Communication Arts and Sciences because we are encouraged to make sure that our courses recognize that the disenfranchisement of any group in our society threatens our entire system of open, free human communication, and that communication that promotes dialogue is the best and only acceptable means of addressing complex and controversial social issues. The courses in CAS provide opportunities for faculty and students to look at different cultures and groups and to work toward understanding their various audiences and how they effectively present their messages.

"I also have to give a good deal of credit to the students in our CAS program. Whether we're dealing with the issues of HIV/AIDS in Black, African, or American communities or the rhetorical strategies of groups like ACT-UP and Queer Nation, they have an enormous capacity for empathy, a strong desire to understand the struggles of people not like themselves, and a willingness to take what they learn about communication and to use that knowledge to try and make life better for a variety of groups in our society. Without the support of a discipline that doesn't just value diversity, but actively works to understand it and to put what we learn to work for disenfranchised groups, or the wonderful CAS students who are willing to open their minds and hearts to the struggles of others, integration of issues that impact the LGBT community into my courses would be much more difficult."

In an effort to minimize resource consumption and promote environmental awareness, Penn State Berks' Office of Housing and Food Services is celebrating National Environmental Education Week from April 20 through April 26.

Housing and Food Services will offer students a week of eco-friendly alternatives by reducing wasteful consumption. During the week, students can expect several changes including:

• Tray-less operation: The goal is to reduce resource consumption by 20%.  By eliminating the use of trays, Housing and Food Services will save in water usage, soap consumption, electricity consumption, and heat load on the buildings.
  
  
• Recycled bags: Instead of using plastic take-out bags, Housing and Food Services will be handing out recycled bags for multiple uses.
  

National Environmental Education Week is the single largest organized environmental education event in the United States. The event increases the educational impact of Earth Day by creating a full week of environmentally-themed lessons and activities in schools across the country.

For more information on the campus' activities, contact John J. Walker III, Director of Housing and Food Services at Penn State Berks, at 610-396-6351 or via e-mail at jjw12@psu.edu.

Caliendo and McIlwain are regulars on their local news channels in New York and Chicago. They give lectures discussing topics ranging from race in elections to race in political advertisements, around the country on behalf of their Web site, raceproject.org. The Web site is designed for individuals interested in matters of race and politics and it offers visitors thoughtful analysis of, as well as resources relating to, racial discourse in America.

For more information on the debate, contact Dr. E. Michele Ramsey, Associate Professor of the Communication Arts and Sciences program and Assistant Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences and Women's Studies at Penn State Berks at 610-396-6148 or via e-mail at emr10@psu.edu.

Six Penn State Berks students were inducted into the Upsilon Gamma chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the official communication studies honor society of the National Communication Association (NCA), on Sunday, April 6. The inductees include Alison Bukics, Anne Desjardins, Amro Fadel, Mandy Moore, Ruben Vandermeij, and Laura Wohlbruck.

Lambda Pi Eta is comprised of undergraduate students who have declared an interest in the field of communication and have achieved a high level of academic excellence. To be eligible for membership, students must have completed 60 semester hours in undergraduate credit courses; have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0; have completed the equivalent of 12 semester hours in courses in communication; have a grade point average of at least 3.25 in these courses; rank the upper 35% of their graduating class; and be currently enrolled as a full-time student in good standing with their institution.

In his Arizona studio, Bob Eckel captures the essence of the old steam locomotives that were once a staple of the American landscape, a lifelong fascination for the renowned painter that began when he was growing up in Reading.

"As a young lad, spare moments would find me at the station, or hiking down the railbed, wishing for a train to come by," Eckel explained during an interview. "Railroading got into my blood and wouldn't get out."

In fact, he was so intrigued by trains that he saved his earnings from a paper route to purchase a camera and began photographing the splendid "iron monsters" as they roared past. These photographs and his vivid memories, along with vintage drawings, provided the inspiration for his detailed oil paintings.

"Today the steam locomotive has totally disappeared from American railroads," Eckel commented sadly. "It is my desire to recreate for posterity this part of our history."

Eckel recently donated one of his coveted paintings to Penn State Berks' permanent collection. The painting titled Northmont Nemesis, which beautifully depicts the famous Reading Railroad, will be displayed in the campus' Thun Library.

The donation was spurred by a gift of a history book about Penn State Berks, Eckel's alma mater, sent to him by Penn State Berks Chief of Police Services Robert Rehrer. Eckel and Rehrer have a longtime friendship, dating back to when Eckel worked with Rehrer's father at Carpenter Technology. Eckel and his wife, Noreda, would take Rehrer to see the trains when Rehrer was a young boy.

Then Rehrer joined the Air Force, and he was stationed in Arizona where he reconnected with the Eckels, who had moved there in the 1960s.

"When I was just fourteen, I recall cruising up Route 61 with Bob and Noreda in an old Chevy, trying to beat one of the Reading Railroad's steam engines to Port Clinton," commented Rehrer. "We'd chase these big beautiful 'ghosts from the past' on weekend 'rail rambles' just looking for the right photo opportunity. Bob later turned some of those photos and memories into gorgeous paintings and captured history."

Eckel attended Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute from 1955-1957, earning an associate degree in metallurgical engineering. He worked as a chemist for both Glidden Paints and Deer-O Paints. Later, he resumed his studies at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, where he earned a B.A. in art.

He began painting full-time after retiring from Allied-Signal Aerospace Company in 1989. He credits his wife with encouraging him to pursue this second career after she discovered unfinished train drawings in an old notebook.

It was during this time that Eckel honed his skill for rendering his beloved trains. His works invoke nostalgia with his attention to detail and remarkably accurate portrayals of the iconic images.

Eckel's works can also be found on display across the country in such prestigious venues as The White House, as well as the Pennsylvania Railroad Historical Museum; Steamtown USA in Scranton, Pennsylvania; and the Winfield Museum in Winfield, Iowa. He has presented paintings to celebrities such as the late singer Johnny Cash and former President Richard Nixon.

Penn State Berks is honored to be among the recipients of his iconic artwork.

Moderated by "Mr. Jones," a freed slave portrayed by a local person, the tour will stop at four sites in Berks County including Hopewell Furnace in Union Township, Johanna Furnace in Geigertown, the Parvin estate in Ontelaunee Township, and the Central Pennsylvania African American Museum in Reading. A box lunch, included in the fee, will be served at one of the stops. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the museum at 610-371-8713.

"The LaPaule Murders" is set early 1930s and follows a big city detective, Robert McHale (played by student Rob Stehly), as he moves to the small town of Pine River, a town full of greed, corruption, and murder. McHale has proven his worth many times but he is still considered by many to be a rookie.

As the wealthy LaPaule family is murdered one by one, McHale must race against time to solve the case and bring the killer to justice.  Along the way, he handles obstacles thrown in his path by his rugged partner, Dick Abbott (played by student William S. Lentz) and love interest, Lillian Starr (played by student Katlyn Pfeiffenberger).

The film is shot in black-and-white and runs 35 minutes. After the presentation, there will be a question-and-answer session with the producers.

Penn State Berks' Film Club was founded in 2007 and is dedicated to providing aspiring filmmakers with the resources to write, produce, and edit films.

For more information, please contact William Lentz, vice president of the film club, at wsl5000@psu.edu.

The theme this year is "One Pride Worldwide." This is the first year that Penn State Berks is highlighting a specific country for Unity Day.

From 10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m., there will be activities in honor of the Japanese theme including a soduku table and a shodou table, where names will be written in Japanese Kanji, which is similar to calligraphy. The Animae Club is also planning an activity for the celebration. Other highlights include big chair photos, physical and learning challenges (such as wheelchair races), and a DJ outside the Perkins Student Center.

Chancellor Speece will host the annual "hands across campus" event at 1:00 p.m.

Koto Budukai, a traditional Japanese female group performing the Japanese traditional fan dance, will perform at 6:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium.

For more information, contact Karen Kihurani, Coordinator of Multicultural Programs, at 610-396-6080, via e-mail at kek5@psu.edu.

Penn State Berks' Theatre Department will present "The Unlikely Martyrs," a play written by Penn State Berks student Savannah Ganster, on April 21-26, at 8:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room.

When asked why she decided to write the play, Ganster, a sophomore Professional Writing major, explains, "I initially wrote one scene for a theatre course. The professor expressed his interest in expanding it into a full-length work. I spent countless hours conducting research to expand and rewrite the play. My research was based upon the need to understand the history of Iraq and the Muslim religion."

"Ultimately, I wrote 'The Unlikely Martyrs' to make a statement about United States and Iraqi relations and about prejudices, but on a larger scale, my goal for this project is to make the audience reconsider their current beliefs.

Told from both the American and Iraqi point of view in flashbacks and the present time, this challenging play takes a look at the issues of war and the unlikely martyrs that result from it and it asks bold and poignant questions. The play will be directed by Radhica Ganapathy, instructor of theatre at Penn State Berks.

Admission is free to students with ID, $5 for Penn state faculty and staff with ID, and $10 for the general public. To order tickets or for more information, call the box office at 610-396-6371.

This is one of 50 events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Penn State Berks. Learn more about our college's history on our anniversary web pages, where you can view additional anniversary events, and watch videos about our history.

After viewing the Michael Moore documentary Sicko, there will be a discussion with two advocates for universal healthcare, Ron Stouffer and Rosie Skomitz, from Healthcare4allPA.

For Desjardins, 29, a senior majoring in American Studies major, the lack of affordable health insurance for young workers is an important and personal issue. She has worked her way through college as a waitress and recently joined the staff of United Community Services (UCS) of Reading after completing an internship for the organization last summer.

She explains that because young workers are often viewed as disposable, they are usually excluded from health insurance plans, or they choose to not subscribe to a plan because they do not have the responsibilities of a family. Lack of health insurance often leads to troubling predicaments for young workers who find themselves in financial dilemmas when they become sick or get injured.

"I am fortunate for the opportunity to make in impact on young workers. I would like to become the person that young people can ask for help or advice," comments Desjardins.

Rudy, 20, a sophomore CAS major who is also working her way through college as a waitress, became interested in the project when she heard Desjardins discussing healthcare issues and young workers, so she teamed up with Desjardins to organize the forum.

The health kits will consist of an assortment of hygiene supplies, which are not available to many of the refugees. Kits include an adult toothbrush, six-ounce tube of toothpaste, bars of soap, fingernail clippers, and hand towels. Collection boxes will located in various buildings on campus, and anyone who is interested in making a donation can simply drop off any of the needed items.

Mennonite Central Committee is a relief, development, and peace agency of the North American Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches. In 2004, the MCC sent more than 42,000 health kits around the world to people in such countries as Bosnia, Haiti, Nicaragua, North Korea, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine.

For more information, please contact CSF president Matt Adams via e-mail at: adamsmp@gmail.com.

Penn State Berks' Theatre Department will present "The Laramie Project," a play inspired by the tragic beating death of a gay college student, on April 10-12, at 8:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium.

In October 1998, Matthew Shepard, a twenty-one-year-old student at the University of Wyoming, was kidnapped, severely beaten, tied to a fence, and left to die in the middle of the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming. He was the victim of this assault because he was gay. The Laramie Project is a breathtaking theatrical collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink, and the heights of compassion it can reach. The play will be directed by Rob Napoli, technical theatre coordinator at Penn State Berks.

Admission is free to students with ID, $5 for Penn state faculty and staff with ID, and $10 for the general public. To order tickets or for more information, call the box office at 610-396-6371.

Award winning authors Martha Carlson-Bradley and J. C. Todd will give a reading as part of Penn State Berks' Literary Arts Series on Wednesday, April 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. This event is free and open to the public.

Carlson-Bradley is the author of three collections of poetry: Season We Can't Resist, published in June 2007, and two chapbooks, Beast at the Hearth and Nest Full of Cries. Her poems have been published in many literary magazines, including New England Review, Marlboro Review Carolina Quarterly, Beloit Poetry Journal, and Zone 3, as well as in anthologies such as The Poets' Grimm.

Todd is the author of a book of poems, What Space This Body, published in 2008, and two chapbooks, Entering Pisces and Nightshade, which was a finalist for the Flume Press Chapbook Award. Her poems have appeared in such periodicals as The American Poetry Review, The Atlanta Review, The Paris Review, Prairie Schooner, Wild River Review, and 5AM. Todd earned a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Duquesne University and a master's degree in Creative Writing from the Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College.

The Literary Arts Series at Penn State Berks is supported by gifts to the college, by the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Division, and by a grant from the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts, a state agency of the National Endowment of the Arts, administered locally by the Berks Arts Council.

For more information, contact Jayne Brown, coordinator of the Literary Arts Series and senior lecturer in English at Penn State Berks, at 610-396-6041 or via e-mail at jrb30@psu.edu
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Penn State Berks will host Dances of Universal Peace on Saturday, April 19, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. A form of spiritual meditative dance conducted with a group of dancers and led by a dance leader, who usually plays a guitar or drum, each dance has a chant, which is sung as the dance is performed. The chants are often sacred phrases put to traditional or contemporary melodies, and include a wide range of languages including Arabic, Aramaic, English, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Persian, and Sanskrit.

The emphasis is on participation regardless of ability. Participants of all levels dance together and each dance is usually taught at each performance. Dances are choreographed to encourage the dancer to explore the deeper mystical meaning of the chant. The practice of the dance is claimed to develop the participants' spiritual awareness, awareness of their own body and awareness of the presence of others.

The Dances of Universal Peace were first formulated in the late 1960s by Samuel L. Lewis and were first performed in California. The original dances were strongly influenced by Lewis' spiritual contact with Ruth St. Denis, a modern dance pioneer, and Hazrat Inayat Khan, a Sufi master. The influence on the dances of Sufi practices such as Sema and The Whirling Dervishes are apparent, although Lewis was also a Rinzai Zen master and drew on the teachings of the major religious and spiritual traditions, including native traditions.

The Dances have since developed into a global movement. The Network for the Dances of Universal Peace has members in 28 countries and have increasingly come to be offered in schools, colleges, prisons, hospices, residential homes for those with special needs, and holistic health centers.

For more information, contact Dr. Paul Frye, instructor in Speech Communication, at paf11@psu.edu

Food-borne fungi are common contaminants of agricultural commodities, beverages, and animal feeds. In addition to economic losses, mold growth on foods and crops can present a health hazard to humans and animals by producing mycotoxins, toxins produced by certain mold species, which are potentially harmful to humans.

Mycotoxins have been linked to many human and animal diseases. They have been shown to cause various health effects ranging from allergic reactions to cancer. The lecture will summarize the latest research on the toxicity, identification, prevention, control, and regulation of mycotoxins and food-borne fungi.

Gourama earned his doctoral degree in food science and technology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The Division of Science Colloquium features faculty and friends of the college who conduct research on a wide variety of topics.

Penn State Berks and Wyomissing-based specialty materials manufacturer Carpenter Technology Corp. are partnering to help improve science education in the Reading School District. Carpenter Technology has committed $100,000 for the first year of a three-year initiative.
Carpenter Technology presented the check for the initiative to Penn State Berks during a reception on Wednesday, April 9, at 3:30 p.m. in room 3 of the Janssen Conference Center, Penn State Berks.

The school district's 14 elementary schools will be divided into three similar-sized groups, with one group targeted for improvement each year. The plan's objectives include:

• revising the district's written course of study in science for grades K-5 to match Pennsylvania's academic standards
• keeping teachers and administrators better informed about national and state education standards
• providing professional development to teachers and administrators so they can effectively use the standards to guide instruction
• acquiring hands-on science materials to match curricular goals in a multicultural learning environment
• offering graduate-level courses and workshops in science education
• holding summer and weekend science camps for children and their families to promote learning in science

In addition to Carpenter's financial support, Carpenter employees will participate through mentoring and volunteerism. Penn State will provide leadership for the initiative.  "It is critical to provide a strong foundation for learning science during the elementary school years, so that children are motivated to achieve in the areas of science, math, and technology during the middle and high school grades," said David Bender, registrar, associate professor of education, and program coordinator for the Elementary and Kindergarten Education degree program at Penn State Berks.

Carpenter Technology's first-year commitment will fund a part-time consultant to oversee the initiative; science camps, field trips, and workshops; transportation for students; and instructional materials. Also included are scholarships for inner-city middle and high school students to attend summer science camps at Penn State Berks. Graduate-level credit and partial tuition reimbursement will be available as well for teachers who participate in additional course work in conjunction with professional development activities.

Carpenter Technology Corp. produces and distributes specialty alloys, including stainless steels, titanium alloys and superalloys, and various engineered products. Further information about Carpenter can be found at http://www.cartech.com/ online.

Pictured in the photo above from left to right are: Walt Fullam, Director of Continuing Education, Penn State Berks; Kathi Hanley, Senior Vice President for Organizational Effectiveness, Strategy, and Corporate Staffs, Carpenter Technology; Dr. Susan Phillips Speece, Chancellor, Penn State Berks; Dr. Thomas Chapman, Superintendent, Reading School District; and Dr. David Bender, Program Coordinator for Elementary and Kindergarten Education, Associate Professor of Education, and Registrar, Penn State Berks.

Billie Walker, associate reference librarian, will be traveling throughout campus on Thursday, April 17-and throughout the week as weather permits-with a hot dog cart and give-away items for students.

Finally on Friday, April 18, there will be an American Studies Books and Coffee discussion on the novel Finn by Jon Clinch from 1:00-2:30 p.m. in the Thun Library.

All events for National Library Week are free.

First held in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support.

For more information on National Library Week, visit ala.org. For more information on Penn State Berks' National Library Week, contact Barbara Lessig, library assistant, at 610-396-6244.

This is one of 50 events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Penn State Berks. Learn more about our college's history on our anniversary web pages, where you can view additional anniversary events, and watch videos about our history.

As part of the Global Studies degree program's African Film Series, Penn State Berks will present three films in April: Endurance on Wednesday, April 9, at 1:00 p.m. in room 108 of the Franco Building; and The Devil Came on Horseback on Thursday, April 17 and Shake Hands with the Devil on Thursday, April 24, both at 6:00 p.m. in room 157 of the Franco Building. All three films are free and open to the public.

Endurance is the 1999 film docu-drama about the life story of East African athlete Haile Gebrsellasie as he endures hardship and humiliation before winning a gold medal in the 10,000-meter race at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Gebrsellasie portrays himself in this production, which is filmed on location in Ethiopia. Through flashbacks, Endurance follows the young Gebrsellasie as he grows up in a farming family of ten children, walking six miles to school and three miles to fetch water daily. Against his father's wishes, Gebrsellasie leaves home when he's old enough and heads to Addis Ababa to train for the Olympics.

The Devil Came on Horseback is a 2007 film that exposes the tragedies occurring in the western Sudanese region of Darfur as seen through the exclusive, compelling photography and firsthand testimony of an American witness, former U.S. Marine Captain Brian Steidle, who served as a United Nations observer in Sudan and has since returned to the United States to take action against the atrocities of the dictatorial regime in Khartoum.

Shake Hands with the Devil is a 2004 film based on the genocide in Rwanda, in which an estimated 800,000 men, women, and children were brutally killed under the helpless watch of Canadian Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire and his men. The film tells the story of Dallaire, his controversial command of the United Nations mission to Rwanda during the genocide, and his attempts to deal with his past.

For more information about the African Film Series, contact Dr. Randall Fegley, assistant professor of history and co-coordinator of the Global Studies degree program, at 610-396-6092, or via e-mail at raf8@psu.edu.

In celebration of Penn State Berks' fiftieth anniversary, there was an unveiling ceremony for the fiftieth anniversary commemorative quilt, which was designed and created by the campus community, on Monday, April 7 from 1:00-2:30 in the Freyberger Gallery, Perkins Student Center. View photos from the event.

The quilt project began in February 2007 as an outgrowth of the college's fiftieth anniversary planning committee. The entire college community was invited to participate and the response was overwhelming. Members from all segments of the community--students, faculty, staff, alumni, advisory board members, and friends of the college--joined together to plan, design, and construct a commemorative quilt with fifty squares, each depicting a different facet of the college.

After several planning meetings in which the quilt size and subjects for each block were determined, the group went to work. While some members of the quilting circle were experienced quilters, others had never threaded a needle. Various tasks were assigned according to the participant's interest and level of experience, from creating the quilt design, to selecting the symbols, to creating the appliqués, to going to the fabric store to choose materials, to assembling and sewing the blocks.

Since the quilters worked on their squares individually, guidelines were developed to ensure that the quilt squares would fit together, while still allowing for individual creativity. Both hand and machine sewing were used to incorporate techniques from the past with those of today.

The result is a stunning piece of artwork that tells the story of Penn State Berks, from the college's predecessor, Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute, to our current degree programs, to the road to the future.

The quilt project was coordinated by Connie Dunston, Administrative Assistant to the Chancellor and Labyrinth Coordinator. "There is a tremendous sense of anticipation and excitement as the unveiling draws near. Those who participated in its design and creation will undoubtedly be filled with pride at the sight of this achievement. Our quilt is unique and quite amazing," Dunston said.

This is one of 50 events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Penn State Berks. Learn more about our college's history on our anniversary web pages, where you can view additional anniversary events, and watch videos about our history.

Penn State Berks' Freyberger Gallery will showcase the creative works of regional quilt designers in an exhibition titled In Stitches, from April 10-May 22, with an opening reception on Thursday, April 10 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

The exhibition showcases contemporary, regional quilts for audiences of all ages. The event will display creative and intriguing designs and patterns from some of the most skilled, regional quilt makers.

The Freyberger Gallery's hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; Thursday evening, 6:00-8:00 p.m., or by appointment. For more information, contact Marilyn Fox, Arts Coordinator, at 610-396-6140 or via e-mail at mjf14@psu.edu.

This is one of 50 events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Penn State Berks. Learn more about our college's history on our anniversary web pages, where you can view additional anniversary events, and watch videos about our history.

Cynthia Reeves, author of the award-winning novella Badlands, will give a reading as part of Penn State Berks' Literary Arts Series on Wednesday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. This event is free and open to the public.

Badlands received the Miami University Press novella award. It tells the story of twenty-four year marriage of Caro and Daniel Singleman-the marriage that was, is, and might have been.. As the dying Caro confronts a night of crisis, the couple attempts to reshape the present by reconstructing the past through the interleaving of memory, hallucination, and dream. In this fraught terrain, Badlands explores two human mysteries-the inscrutability of the heart and the persistence of hope in the face of overwhelming loss.

In addition to the reading, Reeves will give advice to budding writers and meet with students in a fiction-writing course. Beginning fiction writers are often told to write what they know, but Reeves consistently imagines and creates new worlds through her writing. Reeves will discuss writing across the boundaries of culture, gender, and history.

Currently residing in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Reeves received her MFA in creative writing from Warren Wilson College in 2006. She has been the recipient of several awards for her work: her first published story, "Dream of His Father's Farm," won the Potomac Review's 2005 Annual Fiction Prize and her short story, "The Wedding Dress," was the winner of New Millennium Writings' 2006 First Short-Short Fiction Prize.

The Literary Arts Series at Penn State Berks is supported by gifts to the college, by the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Division, and by a grant from the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts, a state agency of the National Endowment of the Arts, administered locally by the Berks Arts Council.
For more information, contact Jayne Brown, coordinator of the Literary Arts Series and senior lecturer in English at Penn State Berks, at 610-396-6041 or via e-mail at jrb30@psu.edu.

Penn State Berks' Theatre Department will present "The Laramie Project," a play inspired by the tragic beating death of a gay college student, on April 3-5, and 10-12, at 8:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium.

In October 1998, Matthew Shepard, a twenty-one-year-old student at the University of Wyoming, was kidnapped, severely beaten, tied to a fence, and left to die in the middle of the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming. He was the victim of this assault because he was gay. The Laramie Project is a breathtaking theatrical collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink, and the heights of compassion it can reach. The play will be directed by Rob Napoli, technical theatre coordinator at Penn State Berks.

Admission is free to students with ID, $5 for Penn state faculty and staff with ID, and $10 for the general public. To order tickets or for more information, call the box office at 610-396-6371.

This is one of 50 events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Penn State Berks. Learn more about our college's history on our anniversary web pages, where you can view additional anniversary events, and watch videos about our history.

During the week in New Orleans, the group will help to rebuild part of the region devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Students will be working on new home construction by assisting with drywall and roofing.

CSF Pastor David Hershey thinks the trip is an opportunity for students to grow personally and spiritually. He explains, "Building houses for people who need help usually makes students at least appreciate what they have and it helps the students grow closer to each other and become better human beings in their lives, including when they return to campus."

The trip is open to the public, and the cost is $140. The chartered bus has been filled so those who have not secured a seat will need to find alternate transport, or contact CSF president Matt Adams at mpa5017@psu.edu.

Dr. Gary Johnson, research associate in the Corporate Research Services Department Materials Characterization Group for Air Product and Chemicals, Inc. will present "Comparison of Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy for Determining cis and trans Isomers in Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils" as part of the college's Division of Science Colloquium on Friday, March 21, at 1:10 p.m. in room 123 of the Luerssen Building. This lecture is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

"The determination of trans isomer content in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils is of interest in the food industry because it influences product texture," explains Johnson. "Evidence for cardiovascular health risks from trans fatty acids (TFA) have led to proposed federal regulations for labeling TFA content in food products and increased interest in process control to limit trans isomer formation. Current methods for determining the cis and trans content of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils include gas chromatography and infrared spectroscopy of samples captured off line. An in situ Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) technique is currently being used at Air Products to monitor vegetable oils during laboratory hydrogenations. Raman spectroscopy is another technique that is sensitive to molecular structure with some unique advantages for in situ sampling."

Johnson earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Wake Forest University and his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Virginia.

The Division of Science Colloquium features faculty and friends of the college who conduct research on a wide variety of topics. Upcoming events will include a lecture titled "Significance of Food-borne Fungi and Mycotoxins to Food Safety and Human Health" by Dr. Hassan Gourama, associate professor of food science at Penn State Berks, on Friday, April 18, in room 123 of the Luerssen Building.

Three Penn State Berks engineering majors were recently awarded Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute (WPI) scholarships: Leah N. Kamau, Jeffrey Pritts, and Mark S. Fowler.

Kamau, an Electrical Engineering Technology major, is a native of Kenya. Before moving to the U.S., she worked for Kenya Power and Lighting. She plans to graduate with an associate degree in Electrical Engineering Technology in May 2008 and continue her education, working toward a bachelor's degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology at Penn State Berks. In addition to being a student, Kamau works full-time with mentally challenged individuals. She was recently awarded the Nicholas A. Stangil Memorial Scholarships from the Lehigh Valley Section of the Instrumentation, Systems and Automation (ISA) Society. The scholarship is based on outstanding academic achievement and interest and aptitude in the field of instrumentation and controls systems.

Pritts is a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering Technology at Penn State Berks. He graduated from Quakertown High School, where he earned the President's Education Award for Academic Achievement for three consecutive years, in addition to making honor roll each semester.

Fowler, a junior at majoring in Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology, is from Mahanoy City, PA. He is a member of the Penn State Berks Men's Basketball team. During his spare time, he assists in coaching a fifth and sixth grade basketball team.

WPI is officially considered the predecessor to Penn State Berks. The school began as the Educational Department of Textile Machine Works. Penn State instructors helped facilitate the program. Despite its excellent reputation and popularity within the community, WPI closed its doors in 1958, a victim of the difficult economic times. Its founders offered the WPI buildings to Penn State for the establishment of an extension center and the University accepted the offer. WPI alumni are considered Penn State alumni and remain active with Penn State Berks.

As part of the Global Studies degree program's African Film Series, Penn State Berks will present The Battle for Souls on Thursday, March 27, at 6:00 p.m. in room 157 of the Franco Building. The film is free and open to the public.

The 2003 Discovery Channel production is a documentary that looks at the spread of Christianity in the developing world with a particular focus on Nigeria, where evangelists and missionaries are fighting to attract Muslim hearts and minds. But rising intensity on each side has led to unrest in the streets, including church burnings. "Islam and Christianity do seem set on a collision course," states Penn State Professor Philip Jenkins, author of The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, in an interview in the film.

For more information about the African Film Series, contact Dr. Randall Fegley, assistant professor of history and co-coordinator of the Global Studies degree program, at 610-396-6092, or via e-mail at raf8@psu.edu.

Bridget Gray, winner of HBO's Soul Poetry Slam, will share her gift of the spoken word on Thursday, March 20, at 9:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. This event is free and open to the public.

At age fifteen, Gray entered a poetry competition with a vulnerable poem about the father she has never met; the piece took top honors and was published. Soon after that, she decided to leave her Midwest home and pursue her dreams in Los Angeles. In 1999, she won the first competitive poetry slam she entered. She went on to rock mics at hip hop spots across southern California.

For more information, contact the Office of Campus Life at 610-396-6076.

This is one of 50 events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Penn State Berks. Learn more about our college's history on our anniversary web pages, where you can view additional anniversary events, and watch videos about our history.

Penn State Berks will celebrate the beginning of spring with the third annual Spring Equinox Festival on Thursday, March 20, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the campus Labyrinth Walk, located on the Janssen Conference Center Complex just before the intersection of Broadcasting and Tulpehocken Roads in Spring Township. This event is free and open to the public.

The opening ceremony will be held from 7:00-7:30 p.m. and will include a short astronomy lesson, a discussion of spring traditions and folklore, and poetry readings. Some of the other highlights of the evening will include a drumming circle from Earth Rhythms, a meditation circle, a vocalist, seed and bulb planting, a creative craft project, and a spring theme costume contest. In addition, the Labyrinth Walk will be illuminated with votive candles and luminaries creating a magical setting for continuous labyrinth walking throughout the evening.

For more information, please contact Connie Dunston, labyrinth coordinator, at 610-396-6011.

This is one of 50 events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Penn State Berks. Learn more about our college's history on our anniversary web pages, where you can view additional anniversary events, and watch videos about our history.

Dr. David Sanford, associate professor of ornamental horticulture at Penn State Berks, has been awarded the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association (PLNA) Exceptional Leadership Award for 2008.

The award honors individuals who go above and beyond to represent the association, and who dedicate time and effort towards the advancement of the PLNA cause. The award is designed as a tribute to volunteerism and outstanding achievements in PLNA and the horticulture industry. The winner is judged on their promotion of PLNA and the industry, their standard of ethics, and the level of activity within the association. Sanford was chosen to be the recipient of the award based on his efforts with the Certified Landscape Technician Program at Penn State Berks.

"It is an honor to be recognized by the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association for the time and effort dedicated to making the Certified Landscape Technician program a huge success," commented Sanford. "I am proud that Berks campus has provided the setting and hosted this program since 2003, when it was first offered. This program brings recognition to the campus and reaffirms its commitment to the horticulture industry."

The award was presented at the PLNA Annual Conference Dinner on Wednesday, February 13, in State College, Pennsylvania.

PLNA is a non-profit, professional trade organization promoting the ornamental horticulture industry through public awareness and education. For more information on the PLNA, visit their website at plna.com.

From the explosion of information on the Internet and cable television, to the restructuring of organizations into work groups, to the emergence of service industries, interpersonal and public communication skills are some of the most essential skills necessary for personal and professional success in all work environments.

Penn State Berks' new bachelor of arts degree in Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS) is a unique program that prepares students for a wide variety of careers in today's work and civic contexts. With an emphasis on personal communication skills, problem solving, teamwork, and critical thinking, graduates will be prepared to deal with the most important issues in today's workforce.

The degree program is especially valuable for future leaders in business, politics, and human services. Students who want to learn how to think critically, make compelling arguments, solve problems, get along with diverse groups of people, develop successful relationships, and function effectively as a member of a community will develop and refine these skills in the program.

Penn State Berks offers the CAS degree program with three options for coursework: Organizational Communication, Strategic Communication, or a student-created plan of study in the major. In the Organizational Communication Pathway, students will learn about leadership, decision-making, interviewing, supervision, and teamwork in business and other organizations. This pathway is highly recommended for future managers, administrators, entrepreneurs, or professionals in training.

The Strategic Communication Pathway prepares students to critique or engage in public communication through effective message design and analysis, persuasion, and argumentation. This pathway leads to professions that involve oral or written persuasion such as sales, marketing, media, management, politics, or law.

Since the CAS degree program prepares students for a wide variety of careers, there is flexibility in the curriculum. Students take core courses that teach the foundational concepts in language, culture, and communication; rhetorical and communication theory; and communication research methods.

The curriculum can be customized with additional courses in topics such as Organizational Communication; American Political Campaigns; Intercultural Communication; Small Group Communication; Rhetoric of Film and Television; Business and Professional Speaking; Social Influence; Interpersonal Communication; Popular Culture and Communication; Conflict and Negotiation; Gender and Communication; Black American Rhetoric; Ethnographic Methods; Social Movements and Campaigns; Nonverbal Communication; Rhetorical Criticism; Language, Culture and Communication; and Communication Information and Technology.      

CAS majors can pursue a number of employment opportunities after graduation. Graduates will be qualified for positions in social and community services, law and politics, business, management, human resources, event planning, marketing and public relations, college settings, health services, and entertainment. Students who want to continue their education will also be well prepared for graduate or law school.

For more information about Penn State Berks' Communication Arts and Sciences degree, please contact Dr. E. Michele Ramsey, Associate Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences and Women's Studies, at 610-396-6148 or via e-mail at emr10@psu.edu.

In observation of National Engineers' Week, February 17-23, Penn State Berks has a variety of events and activities planned. Penn State Berks' roots are in the field of engineering. Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute (WPI), the forerunner of the college, began as a training center for workers of Textile Machine Works in Reading. WPI provided workers with a solid background in engineering, as well as other technical fields of study.

• Monday, Feb. 18, 12:00-2:30 p.m., Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room-Opening ceremonies for Engineers' Week begin with a luncheon for students, faculty, and staff with a keynote address by Dr. Paul Esqueda, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Penn State Berks. The luncheon will be followed by a panel discussion with industry professionals, who will share their experiences with students. Panelists include Jeff Marks, Reliant Energy; Jason Shaner, McCarthy Engineering Associates; Damond Holsinger, Precision Medical Products, Robert Reed, RPA Associates; and Robert Correll, Tyco Electronics.
• Tuesday, Feb. 19, 10:30-1:30 p.m., Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room and Room 5 of the Luerssen Building-Holy Name high school and LaSalle Academy middle school students visit Penn State Berks to participate in design activities and demonstrations and take a tour of the campus.
• Wednesday, Feb. 20, 8:45 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room and Room 5 of the Luerssen Building-Project Lead the Way competition in which students from eight high schools form teams to design, build, test, and demonstrate a solution to the design challenge. After lunch, winners will be announced and awards will be distributed. (Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is a national organization dedicated to preparing high school students for successful collegiate careers in sciences, engineering, and engineering technologies.)
• Wednesday, Feb. 20, 5:00-8:30 p.m., Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room- Engineers' Week Banquet for industry professionals, students, faculty, and staff, featuring a keynote address from Juan Arias, Senior Manager of Verizon Communications, titled "Engineering and the Market-Driven Economy," followed by undergraduate research presentations, Reception: 5:00-5:30 p.m., Dinner: 5:30 p.m., Cost: $20. RSVP by February 18 to Abdullah Konak at 610-396-6310 or Cesar Martinez-Garza at 610-396-6438.
• Thursday, Feb. 21, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Room 20 of the Luerssen Building-Reading School District students participating in the Penn State Educational Partnership Program (PEPP) will visit the campus, tour the engineering laboratories, and participate in a design challenge. After lunch, they will view a demonstration of a "battle-bot" designed and contested by engineering student Robin Pritz. (PEPP is an educational partnership under the auspices of the Penn State College of Education that supports academically underrepresented youth at middle schools and high schools, encouraging them to pursue their full academic potential.)
• Friday, Feb. 22, 1:00-2:30 p.m., Room 20 of the Luerssen Building-Demonstration and judging of the week-long design challenge for Penn State students will take place.

For more information on any of the National Engineers' Week events, please contact Eric Byrne, Advanced Engineering Aide, at 610-396-6169.

This is one of 50 events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Penn State Berks. Learn more about our college's history on our anniversary web pages, where you can view additional anniversary events, and watch our anniversary videos.

Professor of theoretical physics at the University of Connecticut and author of Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality, Ronald Mallet will discuss the controversial topic of time travel on Thursday, February 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Penn State Berks Perkins Student Center Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public.

Mallet's lecture chronicles his study of Einstein's work on space and time and his study on Godel's work on a solution to Einstein's equation, which might allow for time travel. This, combined with his own ground-breaking research in theoretical physics spanning thirty years, has culminated in his discovery of the effects of circulating laser light, which he believes drags time into a closed loop suitable for time travel. Underneath the scientific breakthroughs lies a deeply personal story of Mallet's desire to return to an earlier time.

For more information, contact the Office of Campus Life at 610-396-6076.

This is one of 50 events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Penn State Berks. Learn more about our college's history on our anniversary web pages, where you can view additional anniversary events, and watch our anniversary videos.

The musical duo Brazz Tree will perform their unique genre of music, known as New World Acoustic Rock (known as Music NWAR) at Penn State Berks on Wednesday, February 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public.

Inspired by compositions from places as far-flung as Ireland and India, the duo has created Music NWAR. Their musical vision is a fusion of guitarist Brad Hammonds' folk-inspired, percussive, riff-based guitar lines, coupled with traditional folk and fiddle tunes, underneath Mazz Swift's conscious lyrics, which are sung with soulful originality. Their debut record "…Quest…" captures the essence of the act's innovative sound and powerful live show.

For more information, contact the Office of Campus Life at 610-396-6076.

This is one of 50 events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Penn State Berks. Learn more about our college's history on our anniversary web pages, where you can view additional anniversary events, and watch our anniversary videos.

The Freyberger Gallery will showcase the creative works of Kristin T. Woodward in an exhibition titled "Temptation and Transformation" from February 21-March 27, with an opening reception on Thursday, February 21, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Woodward adds another layer to her emotionally charged paintings on both a physical and conceptual level through the addition of "found" papers in her works. Lottery tickets, luggage tags, and food stamps suggest faith, hope, and charity, respectively.

The Freyberger Gallery's hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; Thursday evening, 6:00-8:00 p.m., or by appointment. For more information, contact Marilyn Fox, arts coordinator, at 610-396-6140 or by e-mail at mjf14@psu.edu.

This is one of 50 events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Penn State Berks. Learn more about our college's history on our anniversary web pages, where you can view additional anniversary events, and watch our anniversary videos.

Two Penn State Berks students who are employed as learning assistants with the Penn State Educational Partnership Program (PEPP) recently coordinated a fund-raising dance at Northeast Middle School in Reading. The event, called Dance for the Cure, raised $1,022 to benefit THON, Penn State's annual philanthropic dance marathon.

The Dance for the Cure was held December 14 and was an overwhelming success. It drew about 225 teens who kicked up their feet, enjoyed snacks, and had their pictures taken with the Penn State Nittany Lion.

Sophomores Mathew Kovalich, an Elementary and Kindergarten Education major, and Kahlie Long, Elementary Education major, organized the successful Dance for the Cure and associated activities.

Kovalich and Long both are learning assistants for PEPP, an educational partnership under the auspices of the Penn State College of Education. PEPP supports academically underrepresented youth at middle schools and high schools, encouraging them to pursue their full academic potential. The program operates in three Pennsylvania School Districts-McKeesport, Philadelphia, and Reading.

Learning assistants are undergraduate students and are traditionally hired by PEPP from the ranks of the College's Elementary and Secondary Education majors. Learning assistants provide assistance to PEPP students with homework support, study-skill development, and individual and social growth.

"I have been a PEPP learning assistant at Northeast Middle School for two years now," said Kovalich. "These are some of the greatest kids I've ever seen, and I wanted to show them that they can make a difference."

In planning the dance, Kovalich and Long enlisted the help of the middle school's PEPP students, engaging them in various tasks such as advertising, decorating, and collecting and accounting for the raised funds. Kovalich and Long also coordinated school assemblies that explained the mission of THON, and a Jeans Day during which students and staff donated $1 for the privilege to wear jeans.

THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, benefits the Four Diamonds Fund, which supports families battling pediatric cancer. Last year, THON generated more than $5.5 million.

As part of the Global Studies degree program's African Film Series, Penn State Berks will present Children of War on Monday, February 18, at 1:10 p.m. in room 101 of the Franco Building and Yesterday on Thursday, February 28, at 6:00 p.m. in room 157 of the Franco Building. Both films are free and open to the public.

Set in the East African country of Uganda, Children of War is a film that chronicles the daily struggle towards rehabilitation and reconciliation by a group of recently escaped child soldiers of the Lord's Resistance Army, one of the world's longest running and most brutal guerilla militias. To add perspective to the stories of these children, the film will also follow the Chief Priest of the Lord's Resistance Army, as well as recipients of the Army's professed miracles and victims of its atrocities.

Yesterday is the 2004 film about a young South African woman, named Yesterday, who falls ill and discovers she is HIV positive. When her husband learns of her illness, he leaves her to fend for herself.  She hopes to survive long enough to see her daughter, Beauty, go to school. This HBO movie, nominated for an Academy Award, presents both a look at Zulu society and some of the issues surrounding AIDS in Africa
For more information about the African Film Series, contact Dr. Randall Fegley, assistant professor of history and co-coordinator of the Global Studies degree program, at 610-396-6092 or via e-mail at raf8@psu.edu.


                                                   

Penn State Berks will host Dances of Universal Peace on Saturday, February 16, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. A form of spiritual meditative dance conducted with a group of dancers and led by a dance leader, who usually plays a guitar or drum, each dance has a chant, which is sung as the dance is performed. The chants are often sacred phrases put to traditional or contemporary melodies, and include a wide range of languages including Arabic, Aramaic, English, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Persian, and Sanskrit.

The emphasis is on participation regardless of ability. Participants of all levels dance together and each dance is usually taught at each performance. Dances are choreographed to encourage the dancer to explore the deeper mystical meaning of the chant. The practice of the dance is claimed to develop the participants' spiritual awareness, awareness of their own body and awareness of the presence of others.

The Dances of Universal Peace were first formulated in the late 1960s by Samuel L. Lewis and were first performed in California. The original dances were strongly influenced by Lewis' spiritual contact with Ruth St. Denis, a modern dance pioneer, and Hazrat Inayat Khan, a Sufi master. The influence on the dances of Sufi practices such as Sema and The Whirling Dervishes are apparent, although Lewis was also a Rinzai Zen master and drew on the teachings of the major religious and spiritual traditions, including native traditions.

The Dances of Universal Peace have since developed into a global movement. The Network for the Dances of Universal Peace has members in 28 countries and have increasingly come to be offered in schools, colleges, prisons, hospices, residential homes for those with special needs, and holistic health centers.

For more information, contact Dr. Paul Frye, instructor in Speech Communication, at paf11@psu.edu

Michael Kane, senior lecturer in speech communications at Penn State Berks, recently released a blues CD titled Storyville. He is donating all proceeds from the sale of the CD to the campus' THON fund-raising efforts.
 
The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, with all proceeds benefiting The Four Diamonds Fund, Conquering Childhood Cancer, at the Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  After a year-round fundraising effort by the students of all Penn State campuses, THON culminates in a 46 hour no-sitting, no-sleep Dance Marathon in the Bryce Jordan Center, which will be held February 22-24.

"Since this is my last year here at Berks, I've come up with a project to give something back," explains Kane. "I've calculated that I have had more than 7,000 students over the last twenty-five years at the campus, plus nearly 700 advisees. I wanted to give something back to the campus and University, and I believe that Thon is a great way to do that."

The CD features songs on topics ranging from driving in a 1955 Buick Century without air conditioning from Pennsylvania to Texas, to more serious issues, such as teenage soldiers whose youth is a casualty of war.

Kane has been playing the piano since age eight and has played in local bands since the late 1960s. He has conducted research on American jazz at Tulane University in New Orleans and taught jazz courses at Penn State Berks during his twenty-five year tenure at the campus.

For more information or to purchase a copy of Storyville, contact the campus Bookstore 610-396-6100, or visit their Web site at psuberks.bkstore.com.

Penn Players, Penn State Berks' student theatre group, will present The Vagina Monologues on Thursday, February 14 and Friday, February 15, at 8:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium.

The Vagina Monologues, Eve Ensler's Obie Award-winning masterpiece, is a celebration of female sexuality in all its complexity and mystery. Based on interviews with more than 200 women about their memories and experiences of sexuality, The Vagina Monologues gives voice to women's deepest fantasies and fears. The play has been performed in cities across the country and on hundreds of college campuses. Penn Players' production is made up of twenty monologues performed by nine actresses.

Tickets can be purchased at the door and cost $2 for Penn State students with ID, $5 for all other students with ID and for Penn State faculty and staff, and $7 for the general public. For more information or to reserve your seat, please contact the Office of Campus Life at 610-396-6076.

This is one of 50 events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Penn State Berks. Learn more about our college's history on our anniversary web pages, where you can view additional anniversary events, and watch our anniversary videos.

In observance of African-American History Month, Penn State Berks will host a variety of events and programs throughout the month of February.

- Feb. 4: Laugh Out Loud with comedian Ronnie Jordan, 9 p.m., Perkins Student Center Auditorium

- Feb. 5: Metamorphis will perform "Strange Like Me," an interactive theatre performance that looks at the effects of prejudice concerning race and other factors, 7:30 p.m., Perkins Student Center Auditorium

- Feb. 13: Film "Endurance," the 1999 film docu-drama about the life story of East African athlete Haile Gebrsellasie as he endures hardship and humiliation before winning a gold medal in the 10,000-meter race at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, 1 p.m., room 108, Franco Building

- Feb. 13: Film "Tuskegee Airmen,"  tells the story of the first squadron of African-American fighter pilots who were forced to battle racial prejudices and defend their country in World War II, 7 p.m., Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room

- Feb. 18: Film "Children of War,"  a look at the lives and rehabilitation of child soldiers in Uganda, where the rebel Lord's Resistance Army has forced prisoners of war to commit atrocities against their own families and communities, 1:10 p.m., room 101 Franco Building

- Feb. 20: African-American Market featuring vendors and demonstrations of African art and culture, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Perkins Student Center

- Feb. 21: Arts and Lecture Series presents Ronald Mallet, professor of theoretical physics at the University of Connecticut and author of Time Traveler: A Scientists Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality, discusses his studies on this controversial topic, 7:30 p.m., Perkins Student Center Auditorium

- Feb. 27: Cultural Event: Brazz Tree, duo of musicians who have created a new genre of music-New World Acoustic Rock-inspired by compositions from places as far-flung as Ireland and India, 7:30 p.m., Perkins Student Center Auditorium.

For more information, please contact the Office of Campus Life at (610) 396-6076.

Penn State Berks is taking orders for the University's famous Creamery ice cream, which will feature a new flavor in honor of the college's fiftieth anniversary: "Berks Bits," chocolate ice cream with chocolate-covered pretzel pieces. Orders will be taken now through February 15, with all ice cream available for pickup on March 6, from 5:00-6:00 p.m. in the parking lot behind the Janssen Conference Center. Ice cream that is not picked up that evening cannot be held and is non-refundable.

Creamery ice cream is available in half-gallon quantities at a cost of $6.50 each in the following flavors: Berks Bits, bittersweet mint, butter pecan, chocolate, chocolate chip cookie dough, coconut chip, cookies and cream, peachy Paterno, peanut butter swirl, strawberry, vanilla, and WPSX coffee break. Proceeds will benefit the college's Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management program.

Order forms are available through the Office of Alumni Relations at Penn State Berks by calling 610-396-6057 or online. Learn more about our 50th anniversary.

As part of the Global Studies degree program's African Film Series, Penn State Berks will present Endurance on February 13, at 1:00 p.m. in room 108 of the Franco Building. The film is free and open to the public.

Endurance is the 1999 film docu-drama about the life story of East African athlete Haile Gebrsellasie as he endures hardship and humiliation before winning a gold medal in the 10,000-meter race at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Gebrsellasie portrays himself in this production, which is filmed on location in Ethiopia. Through flashbacks, Endurance follows the young Gebrsellasie as he grows up in a farming family of ten children, walking six miles to school and three miles to fetch water daily. Against his father's wishes, Gebrsellasie leaves home when he's old enough and heads to Addis Ababa to train for the Olympics.

For more information about the African Film Series, contact Dr. Randall Fegley, assistant professor of history and co-coordinator of the Global Studies degree program, at 610-396-6092 or via e-mail at raf8@psu.edu.

Penn State Berks' Department of Health Services is participating in Daffodil Days to help battle cancer. The daffodil is the first flower of spring, and is the perennial American Cancer Society symbol of hope for cancer patients.

Students, faculty, and staff can purchase a bunch (ten daffodils) for $8, a vase of hope (a bunch in clear vase with etching "Give Daffodils. Give Hope." for $15, chocolate daffodil pops (white or milk) for $2 each, a bear and a bunch (ten daffodils and a 10-inch 2008 Daffodil Days Boyd's Bear, named "Bea R. Hope," for $25. All proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society and support research, advocacy, education, and services.

Prepaid orders are due by Friday, February 8.  Checks should be made payable to the American Cancer Society. Orders will be delivered on Tuesday, March 25. For more information, contact Health Services at 610-396-6075

Penn State Berks is helping faculty and staff "kick the habit" with a tobacco cessation program, which will be offered by the Council on Chemical Abuse for eight weeks, every Tuesday, from February 5-March 25 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. in room 104 of the Franco Building. There will not be a meeting on March 11.

The American Lung Association's Freedom from Smoking Program will help participants to develop a plan to quit smoking, change their behaviors and habits, and learn to cope with urges. A trained professional will assist participants in gaining the skills necessary to break a smoking addiction.

Berks campus is offering the program as part of the Campus Incentive Fund award. For more information or to register, contact Health Services at 610-396-6075.

Delton Martin, Penn State Berks senior and Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology major, has been selected from a group of his peers from universities across the country as one of the participants in the 2008 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Leadership Development Program, held January 30-February 1 in Orlando, Florida.

Martin earned an associate degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Penn State Berks in 2006. He has held the offices of President and Vice President and served as Chair of various committees in the Penn State SAE chapter. Along with other club members, he competed in the SAE Mini Baja International Collegiate Design Series Competition for the past three years, serving as project engineer. He was also a student driver at the competitions held in 2005 in Ohio, 2006 in Wisconsin, and 2007 in New York.

Barbara Mizdail, Program Coordinator for Mechanical Engineering, Lecturer in Engineering, and SAE Faculty Adviser at Penn State Berks, nominated Martin for the program.

George J. Losoncy, Maintenance and Operations, has committed $25,000 to establish a program endowment at Penn State Berks. The George J. Losoncy Endowment in Physics and Astronomy at Penn State Berks will be used for programming, courses, and other initiatives in physics and astronomy in the college's Division of Science.

For nearly fifteen years, Losoncy has enjoyed his work at Penn State Berks as a dedicated member of the Maintenance and Operations Department. He says proudly, "I love working here and I feel like I am part of a big family."

The Losoncy family is no stranger to philanthropic initiatives at Penn State Berks.  "A part of my motivation for this endowment was the example of my uncle, Joseph R. Himmel, who in 1998 established a program endowment at Berks, named the Joseph R. Himmel Endowment for Theatre Arts."

Program support endowments are designed to enhance the academic environment of our students and faculty, often merging the special interests of a donor with enrichment opportunities. Examples range from endowments supporting student tutorial services and undergraduate research, to professional development initiatives for students and faculty. For more information about endowments, please contact the Director of Development, David Delozier, at (610) 396-6056.

The Penn State Berks Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management Society will host their annual dinner, titled the "Sustainability Tour of Berks County," on Tuesday, February 5. A reception will be held from 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the Freyberger Gallery, and the dinner will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room.

The four-course dinner will feature tastes of Berks County. Local vendors will supply the food for this event and the college's Food Services department will prepare the dinner. There will be wine pairings to complement the dinner, provided by Calvaresi Winery.

Chancellor Susan Phillips Speece and Dr. Jim Bardi, coordinator of the Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management degree program at Penn State Berks, will be the keynote speakers.

The cost for the dinner is $45 per person. For more information or to reserve your seat, please reply to Laura Harak at 610-396-6057 by January 25.

This is one of 50 events to celebrate Penn State Berks' 50th anniversary. View more 50th Anniversary Events.

Beginning in the fall of 2007, the Medical Health Professions Program has exposed high school seniors to various healthcare professions so they can make more informed decisions about their future education. This unique partnership between Penn State Berks, The Reading Hospital and Medical Center, and the Berks Career and Technology Center (BCTC) offers students the opportunity to shadow healthcare professionals and earn college credits. In addition, Penn State Berks will discount tuition by fifty percent for students accepted into the program.

Participating students will be enrolled in both Penn State Berks and BCTC for one year, taking chemistry and physiology courses at Penn State Berks two days per week and attending health classes at The Reading Hospital three days per week. Students will be able to earn up to eight college credits through the program.

The Reading Hospital will provide education in the areas of healthcare and healthcare professions, as well as a job shadowing component in which students will gain an understanding of the healthcare system by observing healthcare professionals in a real-world environment.

Current high school juniors may apply for the program through their guidance counselors. Admission to the program is competitive and students must meet strict admission guidelines including completion of academic courses in chemistry, biology, and Algebra II with a minimum 3.0 GPA, an excellent attendance history, and Penn State academic prerequisites. Students are encouraged to submit SAT scores with their application. In addition, a personal health physical with proof of required immunizations and a criminal background clearance must be submitted prior to program acceptance.

For more information about the Medical Health Professions Program, please call Allison Larson, Guidance Counselor at BCTC at (610) 987-6201, extension 3322.

Paola Castello, Yesenia Alvarez, and Inez Ramos were among 30 seniors at Reading High School who recently passed the Spanish College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam. By virtue of their solid test performance, each student earned 12 college credits toward their Spanish course requirements.

High school seniors can test out of future college classes by passing a CLEP exam in any of 34 different subjects--one of which is Spanish. Since Spanish is the native language for most of the Reading High School students, the Spanish CLEP was an excellent opportunity for them to receive college credit based on what they already know.

"I'm so proud of our students and all of the Latinas who successfully passed the Spanish CLEP exam," comments Guadalupe Kasper, program manager of PEPP-Reading.

PEPP, an outreach of Penn State's College of Education, is an early-intervention collaboration between Penn State and a growing number of Pennsylvania school districts. Since 1989, PEPP has been helping underrepresented youth realize their educational potential. Students in grades 5-12 take part in extracurricular activities that expose them to college life and career opportunities.

To offset the students' CLEP test fee, several organizations in the Reading area raised money by holding community events. One sponsor, Latina Gathering--an organization that Kasper co-founded in 2003--used funds from its annual Fashion Show that took place in March. Latina Gathering was established to empower Latina women to be an effective voice in the community.

One of the three PEPP students is set to become part of the Penn State College of Education student body. Castello has enrolled in the Elementary and Kindergarten Education program at Penn State Berks.

Alvarez plans to attend Kutztown University as an international business major; Ramos will be attending Albright College and is leaning toward a degree in accounting.

Part-time faculty member receives outstanding teaching award
Susanne Paull, instructor in mathematics, was awarded the 2008 Outstanding Part-Time Teaching Award. This award recognizes a part-time faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to students and effectiveness of instruction that exceeds normal expectations.

Faculty member recognized for outstanding advising and outstanding service
Dr. David Sanford, associate professor of horticulture, received both the outstanding advising and outstanding service awards for 2008. Sanford began teaching and advising Penn State Berks students in 1989 and has remained committed to volunteering for Penn State Berks and the community. He is also the program coordinator of the associate degree in Agricultural Business.

Sanford has served as the Berks Campus Ombudsman and an advisor to the Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Club. At the community level, he is one of the original organizers of the Home Gardener's School and he is also active with the Pennsylvania Landscape Nursery Association, where he conducts a Certified Landscape Technician Exam.

The Outstanding Advising Award recognizes full-time faculty members who have worked at the college for at least three years and demonstrated exceptional commitment to students. Individuals are nominated by division heads and chosen by a committee. The Outstanding Service Award recognizes full-time faculty members who have worked at the college for at least three years and demonstrated exceptional commitment to community service. Individuals are nominated by division heads and chosen by a committee.

Faculty member recognized for outstanding research
Dr. Leonard Gamberg, assistant professor of physics, was presented the Outstanding Research Award. Gamberg's research is in the field of sub-atomic nuclear particle physics and he has published numerous articles in this field. The U.S. Department of Energy awarded Gamberg a $120,000 research award in support of the project "Hadron Structure in QCD from Exclusive Process Observables." Gamberg is also the chair of the Penn State Berks Science Division Colloquium Committee and is active in promoting undergraduate research. This award recognizes a full-time faculty member who has shown excellence in academic research, creative activity, scholarship, and mastery of a subject matter.

Campus Life assistant director receives outstanding staff award
John Gallagher, assistant director of Campus Life, received the Outstanding Staff Member Award. He is responsible for coordinating the college's cultural events and lecture series, which brings internationally renowned performers and speakers to campus each year. He also coordinates student community service with organizations such as Opportunity House and Habitat for Humanity. Gallagher was also instrumental in helping the students establish the new Berks TV station, WPSB. Over the past few years, he has been recognized by the students for his efforts by being named the Adviser of the Year.