The two began studying dinosaur type specimens at the Smithsonian as part of their Dinosaur Extinction and other Controversies course project. After compiling their research, the students used the campus’ Digital Commons to create their very own enhanced podcast to present their findings. Today, however, their project has evolved into something much more creative and personal. They have taken it above and beyond the requirements and gone out on their own to explore new options.

After Teron, an honors student and corporate communications major, and Alyce, also an honors student while at Brandywine, presented their project at St. Joseph’s University’s Sigma Xi Annual Conference they were encouraged by attendees who visited their display to expand the project.

“We knew we could have done more with the podcast—the music and images.” Teron said, “When we got positive feedback at the conference we decided to step it up.”

Under the direction of Dr. Laura Guertin, associate professor of earth & mineral sciences at Penn State Brandywine, who advised the students on their project, they traveled back to the Smithsonian for a closer look at the dinosaur exhibit. During their visit they interviewed Museum Specialist for Dinosaurs and Fossil Reptiles at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, Dr. Michael Brett-Surman, who took them on a behind-the-scenes tour of the exhibit, which will soon close for updating and renovation for four to five years. After compiling their findings once again, Meyers and DiLauro used advanced software in the Digital Commons to create a video, featuring photos from both the inside and outside of the Smithsonian and detailed descriptions of several specimens. Teron and Alyce compiled the research about the dinosaurs, wrote the script, chose the clips, edited the video, handled copy write issues, and even starred in it. The six to seven-minute video can be found on YouTube, TeacherTube, iTunes, and the Penn State Brandywine Web site, among others.

(Left to right; Teron Meyers, Dr. Michael Brett-Surman, Alyce DiLauro, and Jennifer Choi)

Teron and Alyce are scheduled to show the video, podcast, and the rest of their research to graduate and undergraduate students and professors from colleges and universities across the east coast at a conference next spring in Philadelphia. They also hope to expand their project by creating a journal documenting their work; it will also feature dinosaur sketches by fellow classmate Jennifer Choi, of Media, who accompanied Teron and Alyce on their second trip to the Smithsonian. They also plan to create another video offering a broader look at the dinosaur exhibit and featuring actual clips from their interview with Dr. Brett-Surman.

“This isn’t for class credit anymore,” Teron said. “We’re doing this project because we’re interested in the subject.”

Teron said he will show their work to people at the Smithsonian in hopes that they will feature the video on their Web site or at least give them some feedback. Since the dinosaur exhibit is closing for several years, Teron said the video could show people who will never get to see the current exhibit what it was like. “We worked as hard as we could on the project and we’d love to know what the people at the Smithsonian think of it,” he said. “It’s possible that not all of the specimens will be there when it reopens so our video could give people a glimpse of the dinosaurs featured in the exhibit today.”

Even though his focus at Penn State Brandywine is communications, Teron said the scientific aspect of the project was relatively easy to keep up with. “Alyce and I have very diverse backgrounds and both enjoy science so the project was very interesting,” he said. “If I’m not going to pursue science in my career then this is a fun way for me to get back into it.”

Click here to see Teron and Alyce’s video. 

Click here to view the program.

Click here to view the photo gallery. You must enter the following password: 122008.
You can also order photos directly from the photographer through this site.

Sometimes the most successful people are those who work their way from the ground up. With the current economic climate, what better way to introduce Penn State Brandywine’s graduating class of summer and fall 2008 than through the eyes of someone who knows how to do just that?

Shortly after graduating from Penn State, Jerry Parsons and several family members began a small business in their garage in West Chester, only to find themselves at the head of an international telecommunications service provider with more than 4,000 employees in 39 locations worldwide today.

Parsons, of Chester Springs, sent more than 100 graduates off into the real world as the ceremony’s keynote speaker on Friday, Dec. 19 in the Commons/Athletic Center gymnasium. During his remarks, Parsons mentioned the pride he carries with him each day as a member of the first freshman class to enter Penn State Brandywine (then Delaware County) in January of 1971. Two years later, he earned an associate’s degree from the campus and in 1974 received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the Harrisburg Capital campus.

Parsons’ advice to graduates: work hard and always dream for something bigger and better because as was the case for him, one day it might be theirs.

In 1975 Parsons joined his father, Donald Parsons, in founding Communications Test Design, Inc. In 1987, Parsons became president and CEO of CTDI and has since led the company through the dynamic telecom landscape with an unwavering commitment to strategic diversification, technological innovation, and service quality. In 2006, he assumed the role of Chairman and CEO and as a result of his innovative business strategies CTDI is now recognized as a premier service provider and strategic partner in the global telecom service arena. Parsons continues to position CTDI as a leading global service company within the industry.

But Parsons’ influence goes beyond the telecom industry as he is actively involved in several community and civic organizations. He currently serves as chairman for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Board of Education and serves on numerous committees within the Board of Education. He has been instrumental in the planning and development of two new, state-of-the-art high schools in Montgomery and Bucks Counties slated to open in September 2010 and 2012, respectively.

In 2004, the National Catholic Educational Association awarded Parsons the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award and the Papal Honor of Sir Gregory the Great for his personal devotion to Catholic education. He is a member of the Board of Directors for United Way of Chester County and was awarded the Chairman’s Award for outstanding community impact. Additionally, Parsons was inducted into the Chester County Business Hall of Fame, is a founding member of the Board of Directors at Stonebridge Bank, and is a member of the Fairfield University School of Engineering Advisory Board.

And the list goes on.

The graduating class of summer and fall 2008 is sure to take with them more than a few helpful hints about the real world from this outstanding fellow Penn Stater.

The faculty, staff, and advisory board of the campus offer hearty congratulations and best wishes to all the men and women of the summer and fall 2008 graduating classes and their families..

We are...Penn State!

If you answered yes, and we sure hope you did, then we have just the thing for you. Penn State Brandywine proudly unleashed the first issue of its new magazine, Brandywine Pride. Read about our creative students, one-of-a-kind faculty, and thoughtful staff. Learn more about the campus and its current projects. And most importantly, get to know Penn State Brandywine on a more intimate level by reading all about our pride in the online version of the magazine.

Know any good stories about Brandywine students, faculty, staff or alumni you think is deserving of a mention in our magazine? Send us your suggestions today! Are you an alum of Penn State Brandywine who has a promotion, career-change, birth, or wedding announcement? We want to know that too! Brandywine Pride will publish once a semester (twice per year). If you’d like to receive a hard copy or submit any information mentioned above, please e-mail or call Risa Pitman at RLP29@psu.edu or 610-892-1255.

Click here to view an online copy of Brandywine Pride!

If for some reason a student is not prepared to enroll in the 12-month fast-track format, a two-year Post Baccalaureate Medical Sciences Certificate program is also available to students. This allows a working adult, who may have significant personal or job demands, to spread the course work over a two-year period.

For more information about the Accelerated Post-Baccalaureate Medical Sciences Certificate, click here or call 610-892-1300.

Dudkin, associate professor of biology at Penn State Brandywine, has a Ph.D. in biology and neuroscience, teaches several biology courses, received honors awards such as the Distinguished Teacher Award in 2005 and the George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching in spring 2008, and has contributed through writing and research to nearly 15 articles on biology.

A student at Penn State Eberly College of Science, Neeb will be honored as the college’s student marshal during the winter commencement ceremonies at University Park. To be eligible for this honor, students must excel academically and establish outstanding commitment to worthy extra-curricular activities on campus and in the community. They assist with University convocation ceremonies, and on occasion they represent the student body at other special University events.

Neeb, of Media, will receive a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, has a 4.0 GPA, and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa. He plans to use his mathematics and actuary skills by working as a retirement consultant after graduation. He selected his mother, also from Media, as his faculty escort for commencement.

Neeb said he was excited when he was selected to serve as student marshal. “I know a lot of others who also deserve to represent the Eberly College of Science, so being selected among such distinguished students is truly an honor,” he said.

“I was very proud and excited when Henry called me with the news,” Dudkin said. “He has always been driven to be successful. He started setting career goals and researching universities in elementary school. He’s willing to work hard to achieve his goals.”

Penn State Brandywine will host its annual Multicultural Day, a day of "Celebrating Cultures" with food and fashion, song and dance, on Thursday, November 20, from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. in the campus gymnasium, located in the Commons/Athletic Center.

The event will feature international food, a global talent show, international music, and a cultural fashion show. It’s destined to be an all around global celebration! The first 250 people will receive a special commemorative gift.

Multicultural Day is sponsored by the campus' Student Government Association, in conjunction with the Office of Student Life.

Penn State Brandywine is the most diverse campus in the university's system, with students from more than 50 countries. This is a way of introducing customs, traditions, fashion, and food from other countries to the campus and surrounding community.

Tis the season to give thanks. And Penn State Brandywine students did just that on November 6 at the campus’ first ever scholarship dinner. More than 100 scholarship recipients met face-to-face over dinner to share their stories of success and give thanks to the donors who help fund their education in the Commons/Athletic Center Gymnasium. Donors and students were joined by supportive staff and faculty members, some who give financial contributions of their own to the campus.

The event honored those responsible for supporting students as they strive for a bright future and gave donors a chance to hear personal stories about how financial gifts can help change the lives and create opportunities for students. 

To view the web photo gallery of the event, click here.

For young, disadvantaged girls in Tanzania who had no hope of a better life, Nurturing Minds represents a beacon of light in their oftentimes bleak existences.

Nurturing Minds is an organization that seeks to improve the lives of young girls in Tanzania through financial support of educational programs. Tracey Dolan, a board member of Nurturing Minds, says it was her "adventuresome" sister, Polly, who founded the organization and inspired her to get involved. Polly’s passion for education and helping disadvantaged girls, along with her love of Africa, spurred her to action.

According to the Nurturing Minds Web site, many girls drop out of school before they even finish primary (elementary) school. In some cases they lose their parents to malaria, HIV/AIDS or other diseases. Others are just too poor to afford uniforms, books or transport to school. Some have such a high burden of household chores at home, or in someone else’s home, working to support themselves, that there is no time for school.

Through financial support and technical advice, Nurturing Minds is helping the Secondary Education for Girls' Advancement (SEGA) develop a girls' secondary boarding school in Morogoro, Tanzania. SEGA is made up of a core group of four Tanzanian citizens and one American who are committed to improving the lives of Tanzanian girls. The Sega Girls School will provide a quality academic education emphasizing leadership skills, social responsibility and environmental care. To support the attendance of economically disadvantaged girls, SEGA will provide scholarships to at least 50% of the student body.

You can see images of the school’s development and its students at a special photo exhibit, created by photojournalist, Sarah Bones, at Penn State Brandywine’s Vairo Library, Nov. 12-25. Vairo Library is open Monday through Thursday: 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., and closed on Sunday.

Please visit the Nurturing Minds Web site at http://www.nurturingmindsinafrica.org/ to learn more about this organization.

Students in Connie Kirker’s art class paired up with students from Norma Notzold’s American Studies class, with the art students taking the photos, and the American Studies students writing 25-word descriptions. Kirker, assistant professor of integrative arts, and Notzold, instructor in education, encouraged the students to compete against professional and amateur photographers from around the greater Media and Philadelphia areas.

All photographers were asked to focus on the “icons” of Media, Pa. According to the Council’s Web site, the photographs were to “depict subject matter that resides in or originated from the Borough of Media. Works submitted provide a ‘2nd Look’ or an insight into something unusual about the town that might not be noticed upon a first impression of Media.”

Photographs taken by the four Penn Staters who entered the competition, Magen Castronova, Costas Vlioras, Karl Skotleski, and Ashley Eyster, are currently on display in the campus’ Vairo Library.

Magen Castronova, "Sunflower World"

Ashley Eyster, "Drip for a Drop"

Karl Skotleski, "Lone Guard"

Costas Vlioras, "Weather Vane"

For a week in October – the height of the fall baseball season – Penn State Brandywine sophomore Jimmy Burke was recognized as Player of the Week by the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) for his excellent performance against rival Penn State York on October 4th and 5th.

Burke, shortstop for the Penn State Brandywine Lions, said, “As a team, we weren’t playing as well as we usually do. But I had two good days. Every time I was at the plate I hit really well. Between the two games, I got five hits.”

However, the recognition came as a surprise. In fact, Burke was at his sister’s wedding rehearsal when teammate Ted Seiler sent him a text message: “Congrats, man! You’re Player of the Week.”

“I was trying to concentrate on the rehearsal,” Burke said, “but pretty soon the whole team was texting me. It was a great feeling.”

A graduate of Upper Darby High School, Burke said he and his teammates work together incredibly well. “Everyone works hard and we don’t even think about individual awards. We’re working to bring home a championship. Everyone in our lineup is an all-star and I’m sure there will be lots more Penn State Brandywine Players of the Week.”

He emphasized that the closeness of the team contributes to its success. The team has had an outstanding season, with a record of 11-1.

 “When one of us has a bad game, someone else is there to pick him up,” he says. “I couldn’t ask for better teammates. I just really believe that even though it was an individual award, it is still all about the ‘team’.”

And the coach has made all the difference, too. “Coach Vickers is unbelievable,” Burke said. “We were with him for his 100th win in Pittsburgh and I was really happy for him. He keeps us all focused and always makes the right decisions. He has a great relationship with every member of the team. He is definitely the best coach I’ve ever had.”

An education major, Burke looks forward to spring season and the chance for the team to go to the playoffs.

The Math Center has two basic purposes: to partner with the faculty to provide aid in the classroom through workshops and to have professors spread the word about the center. For students, it offers an intimate tutoring opportunity and convenience.

Tutoring is available for students in statistic courses and courses from Math 3 to Math 140. The students are divided in groups and by math class based on their availability. Walk-in times also are available during common hour. If a student's schedule does not match up with available tutoring groups, the Math Center will try to create another group to accommodate the student's needs.The center also is there to help students in the Math 97 program, which offers credits for receiving tutoring. Currently about 127 are students enrolled in the program and the center is expected to bring in an additional 200 students on a weekly basis.

So does it help? Surveys asked students in Math 3 and Math 110 who have used the center if they found it useful and most reportedly answered "yes." Test scores have begun to improve. Madison reminds students "it's never too late" to get help.

In the next few years, students can expect to see the Math Center offering more evening hours and availability for walk-ins and more workshops. Madison encourages all students who need to work on their math skills to stop by and join a study group.

For more information on the Math Center, click here or contact Madison at jdm40@psu.edu.
 

Biomimicry is the idea and practice of developing technology—from Velcro to molecular computers—that imitates natural processes with the goal of addressing or solving environmental and social problems.

The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. 

Back on My Feet is a non-profit organization that promotes the self-sufficiency of Philadelphia's homeless population by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem. The founder of this Philadelphia-based organization, Anne Mahlum, has been nominated as one of CNN.com’s Heroes of the Year. To vote for Mahlum, visit  http://heroes.cnn.com/default.asp.

For more information about Back on My Feet, visit http://backonmyfeet.org/.  

“Pat is a very versatile kind of guy,” said Allan Goldenberg, instructor of music at the campus. “He is versed in all facets of music.”

Goldenberg invited Mercuri to campus as way to show music students and community members a different side of the guitar. He said the younger generation typically associates the guitar with rock and roll and are not aware of the instrument’s varied applications and history.

“Seeing [Mercuri] perform live on the guitar will really bring it home for students,” he said.

This event is free and open to the public.

He’s a mentor, a high school fraternity member, president of the Programming Activities Board, a Lion Ambassador, government affairs chair of the Student Government Association, Orientation Leader of the Year, a THON member, handles public relations for the Black Student League, takes six classes (19 credits), and still manages time to run around campus meeting new people and taking part in—if not planning—activities. Not everyone has the time to be this active, but Penn State Brandywine sophomore Al Parks, Jr. makes it sound like a walk in the park.

A psychology major from Philadelphia, Al has always been interested in helping people and being involved. Even during high school when students were focused primarily on studying for their SATs and trying to get into a good college, Al was pledging John Bartram High School’s very first fraternity, Alpha Omega, and impressing his peers as a member of the Air Force Junior ROTC. As a lifetime member and vice president of Alpha Omega, he helps plan step shows and block parties for the school and takes part in community service.

“My job as VP is to make sure the other brothers at the high school are keeping up their grades and the alums are doing their required community service,” Al said. “I make sure all the fraternity members are doing the things they are supposed to be doing.”

He spoke fondly about his experience as a fraternity pledge: “We had to endure social silence as pledges. We could only talk to other pledges and our teachers during school hours for eight weeks! My girlfriend wasn’t very happy when I told her I could only talk to her after school.”

As a junior member of ROTC, Al became a major his sophomore year of high school, the highest rank he could reach.

These days, he is even more active at Penn State Brandywine. To kick off his sophomore year, Al was named Orientation Leader of the Year by his peers during Freshman Convocation. As an OL he was specially trained to assist incoming students with the transition to college. He gave tours to prospective students throughout the summer, connected with parents and students to answer questions, and helped them get acquainted with the campus community. At the end of each summer, the OLs vote for the student they feel served as an outstanding role model throughout the summer. The winner receives the honor in front of the incoming class of new students, faculty, and staff during Freshman Convocation.

On why he thinks his peers voted for him: “I talk to everybody. The freshmen know my name and everyone told me ‘who doesn’t like Al?’ I brought my own personality with me when I worked with the students and I tried to make every day fun. Every situation I made the best that I could,” Al said after doing a funny dance on stage as he accepted his award.

Beginning in October, he will also serve as a mentor and tutor for middle school students in the area as part of the Penn State Educational Partnership Program (PEPP) designed to address the education-related issues that plague Pennsylvania schools. Al said he is excited to have a job during college that relates to his field of study. “I would do it even if I wasn’t getting paid,” he said.

As the president of the Programming Activities Board, Al will be responsible for booking outside vendors for student events, such as bands and comedians, and planning events. “This campus needs something more and that’s what I’m here for,” he said. Al will also act as a voice for the student body as the government affairs chair of SGA. He says he will fight for affordable tuition, student aid, and any other issues the SGA president and student body feel are important.

Al attributes his positive attitude and eagerness to stay involved as a result of having a good role model—his mother. And he plans to pursue a career doing the same for others. Al hopes to earn a Ph.D. and become a child psychologist or work in the student affairs department at a college or university. After working on the Programming Activities Board, SGA, and with students in many other capacities, he said he feels working with students is “right up my alley, although psychology is my first love.” In the meantime, Al will continue to be a positive role model for his family and fellow students at Penn State Brandywine.

Pulling from the idea of “Road Rules,” a reality show following six strangers as they travel the country completing missions for an eventual prize, Rock the Vote has paved its own road to the White House using the power of knowledge to connect with the country’s youth. The DC-based group travels to college campuses across the country using music, popular culture, and new technologies to educate, engage, and incite young people to register and vote in every election.

On Monday, September 22, Rachel Robinson, cast member of “Road Rules: Campus Crawl” and the “Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Islands,” did her best to educate more than 60 Penn State Brandywine students during a stop on the Rock the Vote tour. Using a Power Point presentation, she outlined the differences between the Republican, Democratic, and Green parties and explained important issues. There was a table outside the Lion’s Den where students could register to vote.

A 25-year-old Miami native, Robinson encouraged the students to engage in a friendly debate about the issues they feel are important on a personal level and to the country as a whole. They discussed health care, immigration, taxes, abortion, gay rights, gun control, and the war in Iraq, inciting strong reactions and starting debates between students. Their knowledge and strong viewpoints on each of the issues were enough to bring hope to those in Washington who fear the country’s youth are not interested in its future.

Junior Ashley DiNardo, HDFS, said she has already chosen the candidate she will vote for but that Rock the Vote helped reinforce her choice. “I found the event very informational and important because a lot of college students don’t watch the news or read the newspapers so we don’t always understand where each party stands.”

A second-time voter—she was first eligible to vote in 2004—, DiNardo said she was aware of where each candidate stood on the situation in Iraq, but was surprised by their positions on gay rights and abortion. During the discussion, Robinson pointed out that McCain is pro-life and opposes gay marriage and civil unions and that while Obama supports gay rights and civil unions, he does not support gay marriage. “They are both very sensitive issues and I was surprised by how McCain is so openly against [abortion and gay rights]. I was also shocked that Obama, a strong proponent of change, is against gay marriage.”

Rock the Vote, founded in 1990, uses famous faces—cast members from MTV typically recognized by the younger generation—to offer a non-partisan multi-media presentation and open discussion highlighting the importance of voting,” according to GP Entertainment. According to its Web site, Rock the Vote’s mission is “to engage and build the political power of young people in order to achieve progressive change in our country. And we give young people the tools to identify, learn about, and take action on the issues that affect their lives, and leverage their power in the political process.”

In support of the organization’s efforts, the Penn State Brandywine Bookstore is providing students the opportunity to support youth voting by selling graphic t-shirts bearing the Rock the Vote logo for $15. Two dollars of every sale will go directly to Rock the Vote to support their programs mobilizing and engaging young people to register to vote and hit the polls each election.

The fair, cosponsored with PACAC, will feature 130 colleges and universities from around the country. The event offers students and their families the opportunity to speak with admissions counselors from each school to ask questions and gather information as they search for the institution that best suits their needs. Admissions counselors from each participating school will set up an information table in the Commons Building Gym so that attendees may talk to each representative one-on-one and pick up information to take home with them.

PACAC will sponsor more than 85 regional college fairs throughout Pennsylvania during the 2008-2009 academic year. For more information, click here.

For directions to the campus, click here.

In honor of National Constitution Day/Citizenship Day, Penn State Brandywine’s newest honors scholars will host an open mic event in the Vairo Amphitheater on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 12:30 p.m. The campus community will discuss the birthday of the United States Government as the microphone gets passed around. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Guertin, who strongly promotes undergraduate research on campus, became interested in the idea as an undergraduate at Bucknell University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in geology. During her career at Bucknell, she kept busy with undergraduate research projects extending from New York to the Florida Keys.

Currently at Penn State Brandywine, Guertin’s primary research focus is the effective integration of innovative technologies and pedagogies to improve student learning in introductory-level geoscience courses, including adding handheld technology such as Palm Pilots to field-based research experiences. She serves as the program coordinator for the campus’ Jane Cooper and Schreyer Honors Programs and co-coordinator for the intercollege minor in civic and community engagement, where she looks to expand the research opportunities for undergraduate students.

The program is free and open to the public.

Penn State Brandywine students Christopher Bakey, engineering, and JacQuita Lessane’, HDFS, have been chosen to receive the AmeriCorps Education Award and a Presidential Volunteer Service Award for their unwavering dedication to volunteerism. As campus representatives to Scholars in Service to Pennsylvania, AmeriCorps’ Education Award program, for the last year, they were each required to volunteer 450 hours throughout the academic year. However, both students went above and beyond, with Bakey completing an additional 379 volunteer hours and Lessane’ an extra 211 hours.

In exchange for their efforts, Bakey and Lessane’ will receive an education award that can be used to pay for any legitimate educational expense at Penn State University or to pay for future educational expenses. And to reward them for going well above the required volunteering hours, both have earned a President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Lessane’ has earned the Silver Level of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, and Chris has earned the Gold Level of the award. Both students will receive an official President’s Volunteer Service Award lapel pin, a personalized certificate of achievement, a congratulatory letter from the President of the United States, and a letter from the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.

The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation created the President's Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service.

Recognizing and honoring volunteers sets a standard for service to others. It encourages a sustained commitment to civic participation and inspires others to make volunteering a central part of their lives. The President's Volunteer Service Award recognizes individuals, families, and groups that have achieved a certain standard -- measured by the number of hours served over a 12-month period or cumulative hours earned over the course of a lifetime.

To date, the President's Council has partnered with more than 76 Leadership Organizations and more than 14,000 Certifying Organizations to bestow more than 400,000 awards to the Nation's deserving volunteers. Penn State Brandywine is registered as a certifying organization.

To learn more, please visit the AmeriCorps’ Web site, http://www.americorps.org/, or the President’s Volunteer Service Award website: http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/index.cfm.

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

To register, visit http://newswires.psu.edu/ and click on the PSUTXT REGISTER button at the bottom of the page to sign up.Your subscription is free for this service, but your phone plan may charge for receiving text messages.

To receive only messages pertaining to Penn State Brandywine, select "Brandywine alerts" and deselect "University Park alerts."  To verify that you have subscribed, you will receive a text message at the cell phone number you provided. Then, follow the instructions you receive in order to validate your subscription.

You can also subscribe to receive these messages via e-mail using the same website referenced above.

All of our other emergency communication systems (e.g., student hotline, television stations, staff emergency phone chain, etc.) will remain in effect.  If you have any questions about the PSUTXT emergency notification system, please call 610-892-1211. 

Each eligible student must be a permanent resident in the Delaware Valley Area—Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties—or of the city of Camden, N.J., and in good academic standing. Each student receiving a grant is also required to submit an original thank you letter to Smith Trust.

Bob Wetzel, director of development at Penn State Brandywine, said, “Many talented students from our region could not afford a Penn State education without financial assistance. Gifts from the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust and other donors help ensure that these students receive the scholarship support they need to succeed during college and beyond. We are honored and most grateful for the generous support of the Smith Trust.”

As part of the grant, Smith scholars will meet with trustees, advisors, or the grant administrator at a social event providing students an opportunity to interact with their benefactor in a relaxed atmosphere. The grant states that “having this important group of people present at the visit bolsters the students’ confidence in their education as well as their commitment and loyalty to the educational institution.”

The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust Scholars Award was established by a bequest in the will of William Wikoff Smith, former president and CEO of Kewanee Industries. It was Smith's intention to support students and programs in the Delaware Valley. He was extremely dedicated to this area and wanted his resources to stay and benefit those who live and work here. He hoped to pass on to future generations the importance of giving to others and supporting the community.

Founded in 1967, Penn State Brandywine (formerly Delaware County) offers ten undergraduate baccalaureate majors and three associate degrees as part of the Penn State University Commonwealth. The mission at Penn State Brandywine is to maintain a campus that serves as the primary medium for meeting Penn State's land-grant, educational mission, while preserving the characteristics that make the campus unique.

A member of Penn State University’s department of geosciences at University Park will install an earthquake monitoring station on the Penn State Brandywine campus in the next few weeks. The station will be part of a new seismic network being established for the state of Pennsylvania and will be connected to the national network. 

In the wake of the earthquake in New Jersey early Monday, this new  technology could prove to be a valuable educational and outreach tool for students and the local community. Dr. Andrew Nyblade, professor of geosciences at University Park, is spearheading the Pennsylvania earthquake monitoring network. A member of his lab, Research Associate Jordi Julia Casas, will oversee the project on the Brandywine campus.

For more information contact Risa Pitman at 610-892-1255.

One of Penn State Brandywine’s own faculty members, Dr. Arnold Markley, regularly volunteered for a soup kitchen in Philadelphia, prior to an illness in January. In honor of his work, the campus helped raise donations to feed hungry children in the Philadelphia area. Food donations were dropped off at Brandywine’s Vairo Library in early July. The food drive was initiated by Brandywine student Dana Gibson as a summer project to battle child poverty and hunger on a local level.

Penn State Brandywine senior Dana Gibson, of Morton; John Strickhouser, of Springfield, who is transferring to Penn State Brandywine this fall as a junior; Penn State alums Toni Hoffman, of Media and Michele McClellan, of Aston, united to organize the food donated by the campus community to benefit Philabundance, the region’s largest food donation organization.

To learn more about poverty and hunger in the Philadelphia area from the region’s largest food donation organization, Philabundance, please visit http://www.philabundance.org/.

Adam J. Sorkin, distinguished professor of English at Penn State Brandywine, recently published a new book of translated poetry by one of Romania’s most prominent younger poets.

Sorkin, of Havertown, collaborated primarily with the author, Ruxandra Cesereanu, to translate the poems found in Crusader-Woman, published by Black Widow Press, Boston. Cesereanu is the author of nine books of poetry, five books of fiction, and significant essays on the Romanian political prisons and political torture in the twentieth century. She has firmly established herself as one of the most important and exciting Romanian writers of today.

American poet Alice Notley said, “Ruxandra Cesereanu’s Crusader-Woman is a masterful, raucous, mystical, anguished story poem, arising from the old Romanian churches of Cluj, with all their stones and thorns and blood. Thence transpires a female-ish, medieval-ish Crusade. The translation is excellent, and the poetry true.”

Sorkin spoke of the challenge of translating poetry as finding the right words to keep the meaning, metaphor, emotion, and devices of sound and to convey “the inner poetry.”

“I like the challenge of creating a parallel poem, a translated poem based on a theme in another language,” he said. “It’s like a jazz improvisation.”

Of becoming a world-renowned Romanian translator, Sorkin said it all began “accidentally” in the 1980s when a friend at University of Bucharest asked him for help while he was there serving as the American Fulbright Lecturer. More than 25 years later, he knows a great many Romanian writers who often seek him out for help translating their work.

Sorkin is this country’s most active and honored translator of contemporary Romanian writing. Recently World Literature Today termed Sorkin’s work “prodigious.” Among the awards and grants he has won for his work are Fulbright and International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) fellowships as well as recognitions from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Arts Council of England, the Academy of American Poets, the Soros Foundation, the Witter Bynner Foundation, and The Poetry Society (U.K.), which gave his translation of Marin Sorescu’s The Bridge the Prize for European Translation in 2005.

Sorkin has taught American literature, creative writing, poetry, and composition, as well as basic writing skills to Penn State Brandywine students, from entering freshman to seniors, since 1978. He is the program head for the campus’ English major.

MEDIA CONTACT: Risa Pitman, marketing and special events manager, 610-892-1255

Each year, English professors from Penn State’s nineteen campuses are on the lookout for exceptional essays from their freshman English classes they deem worthy of publication. At the end of the academic year the best of the best are submitted to the journal’s editorial board, which decides which essays will make it to publication. The journal is often used as a classroom textbook in many of the English classes throughout the Penn State University Commonwealth; the essays serve as writing models for students in the freshman courses.

Myra Goldschmidt, associate professor of linguistics and English at Penn State Brandywine, submitted the seven winning essays from one of her classes. The authors are Albert Parks, Jr., of Philadelphia; Erin Dungee, of West Chester; Hoi Chau Cheung, of Media; Matthew Riley, of Wallingford; Matthew Sengin, of Princeton, NJ; Santeena Brown, of West Chester; and Yudong Zhao, of Paoli.

“It was difficult to pick the ‘best of the best’ since there were so many well written essays,” Goldschmidt said. “I am truly pleased for and proud of my students.”

To read the winning essays, visit http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/bof.htm.

MEDIA CONTACT: Risa Pitman, marketing and special events manager, 610-892-1255

The acting president of the Penn State Brandywine faculty senate has earned the campus’s Women’s Commission “Woman of the Year” award.
 
Susan Fredricks, associate professor of communication arts and sciences and coordinator of the campus’s communications degree program, was recognized at the Commission’s annual luncheon recently.
 
“The previous winners of this award were phenomenal women, so I’m honored and humbled to receive this recognition,” Fredricks said.  “I have tremendous support from my colleagues and the campus, and I thank them for their role in this.”
 
Fredricks, the mother of two pre-school age children, joined the Penn State faculty in 2000 and assumed the leadership of the campus’s new communications program in 2003. The program enrolled 25 students in its first year and has grown to nearly 100 today.
 
In addition to leading the faculty senate, Fredricks serves on the campus strategic planning group and numerous committees and task forces. Her colleagues have credited her with building a sense of community within the communications program by hosting events attended by both current students and alumni of the program, and by staying in touch with alumni through a quarterly newsletter and invitations to campus events involving communications majors.

Penn State Brandywine welcomed 97 seventh grade girls interested in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering or mathematics at the campus’ annual Math Options Career Day on May 23.  The event provided the students with an opportunity to meet and network with professionals from varied fields, including women from Lockheed Martin, Stratus, Inc. and URS-Diamond/ DuPont Chambers Works. Twenty-one teachers and 20 guest presenters visited the campus to help with the program and Brandywine students served as group leaders and student assistants.
 
West Chester resident Susan Glessner-Stickley, president of Stratus, Inc., who attended Penn State Brandywine and completed a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering, magna cum laude, at University Park in 1985, was co-presenter of a session called “Let’s Make Silly Putty.” During the session, the girls made silly putty of various formulations to study the effect of varying cross-linking levels on the polymer properties.
 
During a session called “Straw Wars,” student teams designed and built straw masterpieces that were evaluated by the presenters on product design and how well the structure met the requirements. Other students put their math skills to work calculating and comparing drugs to find out which is best absorbed using the principle of geometry in a session called “Drug Absorption.” And yet another group of girls learned how to incorporate their picture into a personal homepage using Hyper-Text Mark-Up Language (HTML) tags in the session “Creating Homepages Using HTML Code.” There were nine sessions in all.
 
Chester resident and teacher at Village Charter School, Curtis Fisher, a Brandywine alum who received an Outstanding Alumni Award in education at the campus’ 40th Anniversary Gala, May 10, accompanied 10 students and two other teachers from the school to participate in the program.
 
Other participating schools included Assumption B.V.M School, West Grove; Avon Grove Charter School, West Grove; Chichester Middle School, Boothwyn; Darby Township School, Glenolden; Delaware County Christian School, Newtown Square; E.T. Richardson Middle School, Springfield; Fred S. Engle Middle School, West Grove; Garnet Valley Middle School, Glen Mills; Northley Middle School, Aston; Our Lady of Charity School, Brookhaven; Penn’s Grove School, Oxford; Phoenixville Area Middle School, Phoenixville; St. Joseph School, Aston; St. Joseph School, Downingtown and Upper Merion Middle School, King of Prussia.

To view the program, click here.

To view the web photo gallery, click here.

Laura Guertin, associate professor of earth and mineral sciences at Penn State Brandywine, received a congressional citation from Delaware County U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, April 28, on campus. Guertin received the award for all of the community service activities she has initiated and organized at Penn State Brandywine, including those for the 40 Acts of Kindness and Civic Engagement campaign this year as part of the campus' 40th anniversary celebration.

Campus Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska said the honor was well deserved. "I am delighted and proud that Dr. Laura Guertin is being honored with a congressional citation for all of her outstanding efforts to promote community activism at Penn State Brandywine," she said. "Congressman Sestak expressed in a letter to the campus his admiration for 'her initiative, spirit and activism' on campus and called her 'an outstanding example to the next generation of Americans.' Anyone who has had the pleasure of working with Laura or taking her courses knows he is exactly right. Laura's dedication to helping others is inspiring and endless."

Among other things, Guertin leads a campus effort that has already shipped more than $55,000 worth of coupons to military servicemen and their families serving overseas at locations such as the U.S. Navy base in Yokohama, Japan. For the last several years she has organized campus initiatives to help provide much-needed supplies to local elementary schools and the Ronald McDonald House. She works with others on campus to provide blankets to children in hospitals and heart-shaped pillows to cardiac recovery patients.

Guertin serves as the co-coordinator of Penn State University's minor in civic and community engagement. 
"It is important to me to work with the campus and community in fulfilling Penn State’s historic land grant mission. I am also honored to work with students in developing their commitment to volunteering and engaging in the democratic practices our country was founded upon. Seeing the desire of our students to become future leaders in the local-to-international community continues to serve as my motivation," she said. "This congressional citation is quite a surprise and honor for me, but this recognition deserves to be shared with all of the Penn State Brandywine faculty, staff, students and alumni that share the Penn State spirit by engaging in community efforts."

This isn't the first time Guertin has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to the campus. In 2006, she was awarded the George A. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching, in 2005 she received the Award for Teaching Excellence from Penn State Commonwealth College, and she was named Penn State Brandywine's Woman of Year in 2004. In 2003, she received a national honor as being selected part of Project Kaleidoscope’s national network of Faculty for the 21st Century as an innovator in science education. She has taught at the campus since 2001.

For information on Penn State Brandywine's Center for Community and Civic Engagement, go to http://community.de.psu.edu/.

View the photo gallery.

Final Event - As part of the One Campus One Book Program
The Past and Future of Global Warming
April 25, 12:30 p.m.
Gymnasium, Commons/Athletic Center
The lecture is free and open to the public.

The final event in Penn State Brandywine's One Campus One Book program, slated for Friday, April 25, features Dr. Michael Mann, Associate Professor of Meteorology and Director, Earth System Science Center (ESSC), Penn State. Dr. Mann will give a presentation titled "The Past and Future of Global Warming."

Dr. Mann received his undergraduate degrees in Physics and Applied Math from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.S. degree in Physics from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in Geology & Geophysics from Yale University. His research focuses on the application of statistical techniques to understanding climate variability and climate change from both empirical and climate model-based perspectives. 

The One Campus, One Book Committee at Penn State Brandywine has decided to offer a choice between two selections instead of one this academic year, from which instructors can choose the book that best suits their course objectives. The books have a unifying theme: global climate change. The two books are: Field Notes From A Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert, a series of 10 essays by a writer from the New Yorker; and The Weather Makers by Australian biologist Tim Flannery.

The One Campus, One Book program was created in 2004 to offer a book to be used in first-year courses that would enlighten new students on important issues. Past selections have addressed such topics as genocide (The Bone Woman) and immigration (The Tortilla Curtain). For this year the committee, which includes current faculty members Michael De Rosa, Pat Hillen, Tim Lawlor, and David Macauley, and former faculty member Elizabeth Buckmaster, looked at over twenty books dealing with various aspects of science and society in making these selections. To support this theme a series of panels, lectures and films are planned for the current academic year.

For additional resources, visit the global climate change research guide on the Vairo Library's website.

One Campus One Book Events:

"Penguins and Detectors: Climate Research in the Southern Ocean"
Presented by Dr. Daniel B. King, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Drexel University
March 25, 2008
11:30-12:45
101 Main Building

Daniel King received his B.A. from the Johns Hopkins University and his Ph.D. in Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry from the University of Miami, FL.  He did a post-doc with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Boulder, CO.  Dr. King has participated on 5 research cruises in the Atlantic, Pacific and Southern Oceans.  Currently, he is an Assistant Professor of Chemical Education in the Chemistry Department at Drexel University.  Dr. King’s current research interests include incorporation of environmental data into chemistry lecture modules, assessment of active learning methods in chemistry lectures, and development of inquiry-based labs for general and physical chemistry.

"The Past and Future of Global Warming"
Presented by Dr. Michael Mann, Associate Professor of Meteorology and Director, Earth System Science Center (ESSC), Penn State
April 25, 2008
12:30-2:00
Common/Athletic Center Gymnasium

Chris Paine/Director 
"Told like an episode of CSI:Detroit, this documentary is a loving postmortem on the almost unnoticed rise and suspicious disappearance of the electric car.  With all the usual suspects (the government, the U.S. car manufacturers, and big oil) lined up next to some unusual suspects (for instance, YOU, dear viewer), we all get to partake in some accusatory finger-pointing.  But when all the evidence is in, you'll be left with the feeling that something very wrong and very underhanded has happened - and you stood by and watched." iicdenver.blogspot.com/

March 5
Oil on Ice

Dale Djerassi/Producer/Director
"Oil on Ice is a vivid, compelling and comprehensive documentary connecting the fate of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to decisions America makes about energy policy, transportation choices, and other seemingly unrelated matters. Caught in the balance are the culture and livelihood of the Gwich'in people and the migratory wildlife in this fragile ecosystem."
http://www.oilonice.org/

Films will be shown in the Lion's Den from 4:00-6:00 p.m..
A discussion will follow the film and popcorn will be provided.

For more information on these programs you may contact Michael DeRosa at 610-892-1416.

Ivan Esparragoza, associate professor of engineering at Penn State Brandywine, was named the first winner of the George W. Franz Advising and Mentoring Award at the campus‚ Spring Honors Convocation on April 17. The Franz award annually recognizes a faculty or staff member for his/her efforts in helping others to achieve their potential.

Esparragoza, a member of the faculty at Penn State Brandywine since 2001, goes above and beyond for his engineering students. In the spring, the campus‚ Engineering Club–-for which Esparragoza serves as academic advisor–-earned the opportunity to represent Penn State University at the National Rube Goldberg Machine Contest, despite having no upperclassmen.

He was excited to receive the Franz Award.

"I am still in shock and I can't believe it. I engage with the students because I love helping them develop their potential," the Middletown Township resident said. "I feel great and I share this award with my wife and my kids. They have been very supportive."

Among other things, Esparragoza has worked in the past with his students to design a wheelchair that would be conducive to the specific needs of a person with physical challenges, and his current students are working on a project with students at a university in the United Arab Emirates to develop the launching mechanism for an unmanned aerial vehicle for taking inventory of game preserves in South Africa. The goal is to ensure the delicate ecological balance of these preserves is maintained in a cost-effective manner.

"We focus on real projects where they can connect with the world and solve real problems, because this is how students come to appreciate the true value of their education and how to put what they've learned to use for the good of humanity," he said.

Campus Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska said: "Ivan is well known on campus as someone who goes the extra mile to mentor his students, and provide them with tremendous learning opportunities in the classroom, and in the community. He is a great choice to receive the first George W. Franz Advising and Mentoring Award at Penn State Brandywine."

Connie Kirker, assistant professor of integrative arts, has earned the Madlyn Hanes Faculty Award at Penn State Brandywine. Created in 1988, the award recognizes a full-time faculty member of Penn State Brandywine who has made outstanding contributions to the campus community through exceptional achievement in teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity, or service.

Kirker, who lives in Philadelphia, received the award at the campus' Spring Honors Convocation on April 17. She said it was a great honor.

"Dr. Madlyn Hanes is one of my most favorite people in the entire world and my model for living happily in the academic world," said Kirker. "She placed her trust in me when, as director of academic affairs at the campus, she hired me in 1992. I am most delighted and honored to have my name linked with hers through this award."

Among her countless endeavors on behalf of the campus, Kirker was on the 40th Anniversary Committee at Penn State Brandywine this year, helping to shape the year-long celebration. Kirker almost single-handedly organized a "Paint a Lion" project, during which members of the Penn State Brandywine community and the community-at-large painted and otherwise put artistic flourishes on plastic resin Nittany Lion statuettes. Approximately 100 lions were crafted, 40 of which will be auctioned off at the campus' 40th anniversary gala on May 10. Proceeds will benefit campus scholarships.

Campus Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska said: "Connie is the embodiment of the 'can-do' spirit that permeates our campus, whether it's professors going the extra mile to educate students, or students taking classes while also working jobs to help finance their education. During this, our 40th anniversary year, no one has done more to enhance the partnership between the campus and the community in which we educate, and she is very deserving of this honor.”

Kate Northrop will be the featured poet/author for Penn State Brandywine's annual LiTapaLooZa literary festival set for Thursday, April 3, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Tomezsko Classroom Building Lounge. Northrop's first collection, Back Through Interruption (Kent State University, 2002), received the Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Award and was runner-up for the Great Lakes New Writers Award. She is currently associate professor of English/creative writing at West Chester University, and contributing editor at The American Poetry Review. In addition to Northrop, an open mike session will allow participants to read, recite, chant, rap or otherwise express themselves through creative works, and the campus' literary magazine, Penn in Hand, will likely be distributed. The event, which is free and open to the public, will include refreshments.

David Carvalho, Head Coach, Men's Soccer

Len Lomas, Head Coach, Women's Volleyball

Stuart Ross, Head Coach, Men's Basketball

View the photo gallery and purchase photos.

 Watch the recorded event!

The Honors Convocation Program

Detailed Information on our Scholarships and Endowments

Travel to Paris in May and Earn College Credit!

Penn State Brandywine has had a strong international study program since 1996, one which began with a single trip to Paris and has blossomed into frequent excursions to European and South American destinations. Typically, students spend a week or so abroad with classroom study of the country and/or subject matter before and after during the semester. With no extra tuition costs, full-time Penn State students can take up to two courses for credit.

The next scheduled trip is to Paris, from May 12-19. Cost for the trip starts at $1345, including airfare and hotel.

For more information contact Nancy Wyatt at NJW@psu.edu.

For more information on other upcoming trips, click here.

Former president Bill Clinton visited the Penn State Brandywine campus on Friday, March 7, 2008 to rally support for his wife and presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton. Before an enthusiastic crowd of 1,500 students, faculty, staff and community members, the former president discussed Senator Clinton’s ideas on energy independence, improving our schools, health care, the budget and the war in Iraq, to name a few. He was preceded by a warm introduction by Congressman Joe Sestak, who served in the White House during Clinton’s presidency, and made time to shake hands and give autographs on his way out.

If you were not able to attend, you may watch the recorded event by clicking here.

View the photo gallery.

Penn State Brandywine established the Clarence D. Bell Public Service Lecture Series in 2006 to honor Senator Bell's memory, and to perpetuate his devotion to serving the population of Delaware County's Ninth District for more than four decades. The series, which promotes community activism and volunteerism, features speakers from organizations that make a difference in the community.

The 2008 lecture series schedule is as follows:

• February 4: Kerri Hanlon, vice president and chief marketing officer at WHYY
• March 3: Ann Karlen, fair food director at White Dog Community Enterprises
• March 31: Marilyn Cohen, chief operating officer and director of education at the National Liberty Museum
• April 21: Michael Leff, project director for TreeVitalize, a program of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

Most lectures, which are free and open to the public, will be held beginning at 6 p.m. (unless otherwise noted) in the Commons/Athletic Center on campus, in Room 203. Penn State Brandywine is located at 25 Yearsley Mill Road, Media. For information call 610-892-1427.
Directions to the campus

About the Senator:
Pennsylvania State Senator Clarence D. Bell, who died July 26, 2002 at the age of 88, served Delaware County's 9th District for more than four decades. At the time of his death, he was the longest-serving public official in Pennsylvania and was considered the "dean" of the Senate. Widely-known as a champion of veterans, unions, consumers, and motorists, the senator also was instrumental in the development of Penn State Brandywine, playing a key role in obtaining state funding for all of the major buildings now on the campus.

Four ELEDM seniors attended the Student Pennsylvania State Education Associate (SPSEA) annual conference in Pittsburgh and entered the Learning Center Competition which is judged by teachers.

Congratulations to Megan Peterkin, whose "Ecosystems" center received FIRST place and Megan Russo, whose "Complements of Ten" center placed SECOND in the competition.  We are very proud of them for this achievement, and thank them for representing our campus so well.

Megan Russo with her entry "Complements of Ten."

Save the Children is a non-profit organization that works to create opportunities around the globe … for the world’s children to live safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives,” according to its Web site. The organization reports that four million newborns die each year within the first month of life, half within only the first 24 hours of being born. It has been proven that simple items like caps can help keep a newborn warm and help prevent deaths. Save the Children’s Knit One, Save One campaign collects and creates caps to do just that.

A rising number of Hollywood stars such as Debra Messing, Patricia Arquette, Mischa Barton, and Rebecca Romijn are making caps for the campaign to help save millions of babies around the world in developing countries, and Penn State Brandywine has quickly joined the cause.

Members of the campus community, including a group called Knittany Lions Needleworks, and a large group of knitters and crocheters at Granite Farms Estates have teamed up with the Knit One, Save One campaign to help save children around the globe by making caps. Dr. Laura Guertin, associate professor of earth sciences and Diane Shorter, staff assistant of Student & Enrollment Services, created Knittany Lions Needleworks in 2003 by making blankets for Project Linus, an organization that provides blankets for children in hospitals to provide them with a sense of security.

“I think Save the Children is an outstanding organization,” Guertin said. “It gives children a voice and secures resources they need for long and healthy lives. I am glad our Penn State community is taking some time to help in these efforts.”

All Penn State family and friends are invited to help make caps for newborns. Those that do not knit, sew, or crochet can participate by donating yarn. Caps can be dropped off on campus in the Student Affairs Office until December 15. For more information, contact Laura Guerting at uxg3@psu.edu.

For more information about Save the Children, visit http://www.savethechildren.org/.

Engineering students from across the University participated in the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest to design a machine that assembles a hamburger consisting of no less than one precooked meat patty, two vegetables, and two condiments, sandwiched between two bun halves.

The annual contest, named after the cartoonist and inventor Reuben Lucius Goldberg and sponsored by the Penn State Engineering Society, challenges students to design a complex machine to complete a simple task. Penn State Brandywine, the winner of this competition, will represent the Nittany Lions at the 2008 National Rube Goldberg Machine Contest, to be held at Purdue University on April 5.

Ivan Esparragoza, Associate Professor of Engineering and team advisor, said the 12 freshman and sophomore students worked diligently nights and weekends on the project and provided all the material and equipment used in the manufacture and assembly of the machine.
 
Curtis Chan, Coordinator of College Relations for the College of Engineering, said, “I was very impressed with the Penn State Brandywine team. They were very focused and enthusiastic. A great group of students.”
 
Jane Harris, contest organizer, said, "I had a good feeling about the Brandywine team when I talked to Matt Liscowycz and Doug May on the phone last fall about the particulars of the contest. Their enthusiasm and dedication was obvious. The team did a great job, and I’m looking forward to cheering them on at Purdue on April 5."

See how they did it! 
View the You Tube Video!

Standing from left to right; Branden Mulligan, Thomas Devine, Kenneth Moore, Anthony Dimonte, Christopher Miller, Gregg Nestel, Ivan Esparragoza, Marat Mardenov
 
Sitting from left to right; Eric Soring, Matthew Liskowycz, Douglas May 

Click here to View the web gallery.

Tuesday, April 1
11:30 a.m.
Vairo Lounge

The final installment of Penn State Brandywine's 40th Anniversary Faculty Forum speaker series features Phyllis Cole, professor of English, who will discuss the first 10 years of campus history, as well as a book on the first decade of the campus that she is creating with the aid of 21 freshmen English honors students, which will be available this spring. Cole serves as editor of the book, while the students are researching the book and writing the stories.

The Faculty Forum is free and open to the public. For information on past Faculty Forums, click here.

What sets this certificate program apart?
• This is an accelerated, 1-year program geared toward working adults.
• Students will work in a blended learning environment.  They will do the majority of the coursework via the Internet and self-study, which they can do on their own time, at their own pace. 
• Courses are offered in a fixed-sequence, which you will work through as part of a cohort.
• Students will be required to come to the Penn State Brandywine campus approximately twice a month to do their labs and to take exams.

Register on-line for our upcoming information sessions:
• January 24, 2008   6-7:30 p.m.

For more information on the program, call 610-892-1300, or visit our website.

 “It was a crazy feeling. My whole family and all of my friends all came out to support me,” recalls Mike. “I’m a sensitive guy so I had a lump in my throat as everyone applauded me.”

 Thinking about that memorable day, Mike says he owes it to his teammates.  “My teammates are always the ones passing the ball to me and having faith in me.”  Mike also credits his coach. “Coach Kasmer has always given me the green light and believed in me. He’s a great guy and I am very happy to have spent four years playing for him.”

 According to Coach Kasmer, “Mike is one of those special players that you only get to coach once in a coaching career. As you can imagine, I am very proud of Mike.  He has not only scored 2,000 points but he has done it in an unselfish, team-first way.  Mike is a consummate leader, both on and off the court.”

 “The mountain most college basketball players try to climb is only 1,000 points high.  Mike’s passing of 2,000 points against Penn State New Kensington places him in the rarefied air that only a few select players get to breathe.  Mike is the only player in Penn State Brandywine’s history to reach this summit,” expresses Jim Gastner, Penn State Brandywine’s Athletic Director, “I join everyone in the Penn State Brandywine athletic community in saluting Mike and his teammates who helped make his success possible.”

 A graduate of Monsignor Bonner High School in Drexel Hill, Mike continues to focus on what will help his team. “You need to stay positive, never look down on anyone and most importantly, pick someone up when he’s down,” he said.

 Might a basketball career be in his future? Mike says he is going to try. But for now, he says his main focus is, “trying to bring the championship home to Penn State Brandywine.”

--Jaclyn Damato

Click here for the Delaware County Daily Times story.

What better way to celebrate 40 years than to step back and reminisce how it all began? In honor of Penn State Brandywine’s 40th anniversary, Dr. Phyllis Cole’s fall 2008 Honors Freshman Composition class wrote the campus’ first history book. As a class assignment, students were asked to interview alumni, faculty and staff who were students or worked on campus during its first ten years, known then as Penn State Delaware County. The result is a 157-page book filled with memories about campus life and the culture of the 60's and 70's. Dr. Cole, professor of English, women’s studies and American studies, edited sections submitted by each student with the help of Research Assistant Deborah Riggins.

The evocative narration, titled "The First Ten Years: Conversations about Penn State Delaware County, 1967-1977," features entertaining anecdotes about the campus’ first home—a warehouse below a roller skating rink in Chester—, photographs of the campus community, including those of staff or faculty who are still on campus today, and an accurate portrayal of life on campus through the eyes of those who lived it.

Pinochle was a big part of the social scene

Campus Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska said, “The First Ten Years is a magnificent recreation of how it all began here at Penn State Brandywine. The project took a lot of hard work and determination from Dr. Cole’s freshman class and the students should be extremely proud. They’ve made history, an achievement they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.”

“The First Ten Years …” is available for $12 at Penn State Brandywine’s campus bookstore at 25 Yearsley Mill Road, Media. For more information, please contact Risa Pitman at 610-892-1255.

Below is just a small sampling of over 100 photos you'll find in the book.

Current student Andrew Smithson asks Aldo Magazzeni about his campus experiences in 1967.

SGA office, early 1970s