penn state education - spring 2008

www.ed.psu.eduSpring 2008

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION STUDENTS ARE

Making a Difference

College of Education students participate in THON, a weekend-long dance marathon which raises money for the Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Children’s Hospital. The Four Diamonds Fund benefits children with cancer and their families, as well as supports cancer research. (See page 14.)

The Penn State College of Education is proud of its students. They are intelligent, eager to learn, and engaged in academic studies as well as in service to their communities. Their deep commitment

to education is evident in all they do, and the College is committed to preparing them for bright futures.

We strive to provide the best programs and services for our students and work hard to keep our ears to the ground about what we can do to make further improvements. I look forward to regular meetings with a representative group of students who share their hopes and dreams for the College of Education. Over the years, these students have been the inspiration behind many innovative programs in the College, including our Arts-in-Education initiative and Cycle-thon.

Cycle-thon, now in its third year, is a community-building and fund-raising event for the College. Bicycle riders raise funds for SCOPE, a program that each year invites high school students from urban areas to come to Penn State in the summer to learn about careers in education. The students are hard at work in the months leading up to the event, and they show up early the day of the event to place signs along the route, provide refreshments, and register participants. This year, we are adding a community picnic to the event, and the students are the driving force. Without them, Cycle-thon would not be possible.

This group of students is an excellent example of the level of engagement characteristic of many students in the College, and they are not unique. Penn State students throughout the College and the University are engaged in their studies, research, learning, and service, and the University is focused on meeting President Graham Spanier’s challenge to become one of the most “student-centered” universities in the United States.

To help meet this challenge, the University is in the early stages of a new fund-raising campaign. For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students will be one of the most ambitious fund-raising efforts in Penn State’s history. In the College, we are especially looking to raise funds to increase scholarship support for both undergraduate and graduate students. We are also working to significantly increase faculty support through professorships and chaired positions. Scholarships and faculty support are the building blocks of our continuing commitment to excellence.

We welcome your interest and take this opportunity to introduce you to some of the incredibly inspiring students we have the privilege to serve. The stories we share in the pages which follow constitute a small sampling. Every student in the College has a compelling story, and we hope this sampling will inspire you to even higher levels of support for the College. Please join me in celebrating the lives of our students, past and present, and all they are doing to improve the field of education.

Sincerely,

David H. Monk

“We strive to provide the best programs and services for our students…”

From the Dean

�Penn State Education

Dean’s Message


This publication is available in alternative media on request. The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission, and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. It is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff, or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to the Affirmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania State University, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802-5901; Tel 814-865-4700/V, 814-863-1150/TTY.

Spring 2008College of Education Magazine

DeanDavid H. Monk

EditorSuzanne Wayne

WritersAmit Avasthi

Pamela Batson Nicole Gallo

Andrea Messer Laura Ormsby

Michelle Roche Joe Savrock

Jenna Spinelle Matt Swayne

Dan Thompson

DesignerLeah Donell

PhotographyGreg Grieco Mark Houser

Suzy Lutz Gene Maylock

Rusty Myers Randy Persing

Campus Photography AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

PrinterReed Hann Litho

Contact Us247 Chambers Building

University Park, PA 16802-3206814-863-2216

www.ed.psu.edu [email protected]

Published annually by the Penn State College of Education

College of Education Alumni Society

OfficersCameron Bausch, President

Heidi Capetola, Secretary Ron Musoleno, Immediate Past President

Directors

U.Ed EDU 08-48

Table of Contents

1 Dean’s MessageThe College’s students are making a difference in their communities.

3 College UpdatesThe last year saw a number of new grants, awards, and initiatives for the College and its faculty, staff, and students.

13 Making a DifferenceCollege of Education students are finding many ways to lend a hand.

22 College of Education EventsMark your calendars to attend these exciting College of Education events.

23 Alumni Award WinnersBulent Tarman and Harry L. Eberly are honored with University awards.

25 Alumni ProfilesAn alumna helps train teachers in war-torn Sierra Leone.

28 Gifts to the College Recent endowments create a number of new opportunities in the College.

Patricia Best Clifford Bennett

Carl Bruno Heidi Capetola

Joan Dieter John DiNunzio Carol Giersch Alain Hunter

John Ikenberry

Gus Johnson Marilyn Maiello

Joan Ruth Stacie Spanos

Edward Stoloski Charlotte Voight

Larry Wess Amy Woomer

2 Penn State College of Education

College Updates

College Updates

Penn State Children’s Literature Program Receives Top Ranking by Instructor Magazine

Instructor Magazine, the top-read elementary school teacher magazine, has chosen Penn State’s Children’s Literature World Campus program as the best online program in children’s literature.

The magazine gave the Penn State program the top ranking in the category “The Best for Children’s Literature.” The top program in 11 different online categories were acknowledged. The programs were rated based on feedback from practicing teachers.

The magazine noted that the classes in the Penn State program “use a combination of Web technology and, of course, real children’s books,” and quoted one participating teacher as saying, “The best part was regular and connected feedback from professors.”

“This recognition is a testament to the many fine professors and instructors who have taught in our program,” said Dan Hade, associate professor of language & literacy education.

Penn State offers two online children’s literature programs through its World Campus: a graduate certificate in children’s literature and an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction–children’s literature.

—Joe Savrock


Remember that FIRST “first day of school?”You know…the one in which you faced a class of strangers, with a new diploma in your pocket, and a whole bunch of butterflies in your stomach? You have learned a lot since then.Share your knowledge.Join the College of Education Alumni-Student Teacher Network.

Mentor a new teacher. Catch up with old friends.

www.ed.psu.edu/educ/alumni-friends/alumni-society-�/alumni-student-teacher-network

ALUMNI-STUDENT TEACHER NETWORK

New Study Examines Parent-Child Interactions in At-Risk Families

A close look at the way parents interact with children may provide clues to mistreatment of kids and pave the way for potential interventions to prevent

the problem. “There is very little understanding of the moment-to-moment interaction between parents and children in high-risk families,” said Elizabeth Skowron, associate professor of counseling psychology. “We need to understand the ways in which ongoing relationship patterns in high-risk and healthy families affect children’s emotional and behavioral outcomes.”

Skowron has received a $1.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Mental Health for a five-year study that will seek to identify patterns of interaction between parents and preschool children, and how these patterns relate to children’s skills to regulate their emotion and behavior.

Skowron and her colleagues at Penn State’s Family Systems Laboratory hope the study will reveal relationship patterns underlying the severity and type of maltreatment and help mental health professionals better understand why some maltreated children do relatively well, while many others struggle across a variety of domains. “Child maltreatment affects nearly a million kids each year,” Skowron noted.

—Amit Avasthi

Penn State Supplies NASA to Schools

Coming soon to a school near you: a shiny, silver Airstream RV emblazoned with “NASA to the Schools, Penn State.”

As part of a five-year, $27.3 million cooperative agreement, Penn State is NASA’s face to K–12 education. “This is the only program in the U.S. that can put professional science educators on the ground in 50 states and territories,” said William S. Carlsen, director of Penn State’s Center for Science and the Schools.

NASA education specialists will work closely with teachers and school administrators to infuse cutting-edge science content into extended instructional units. They’re determining how summer course experiences translate to the classroom and how teachers adapt materials to the various states and schools.

Six Airstream “NASA to the Schools” vehicles will crisscross the country with a scaled-down version of a Martian Rover. Just like a real Rover, these half-pints have cameras that help monitor their environment in 3-D. The educational rovers also have the capability of projecting images in 3-D using “GeoWall” technology, letting students see exactly what the Rovers saw on Mars.

“By informing the great curiosity that surrounds space exploration with real science, we are stimulating interest in the sciences and better preparing all students to function effectively in our increasingly technically-oriented society,” said David H. Monk, College of Education dean.

—Andrea Messer

College Updates

� Penn State College of Education

College Updates


Goodling Institute and WNBA Star Helen Darling: A Winning Partnership to Promote Children’s Literacy

Helen Darling ’00 is proving to be an outstanding teammate for both the San Antonio Silver Stars and the Goodling Institute for Research

in Family Literacy. Darling, the starting point guard for the Silver Stars

in the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association), has joined with the Goodling Institute, headquartered in Penn State’s College of Education, in a new partnership. A strong advocate for family literacy, Darling has written a series of seven children’s books that feature resources for parents and teachers to encourage children to read. Her first book, Hide-N-Seek Monday, was published last August.

Goodling co-director Barbara Van Horn anticipates that the partnership between the Institute and Darling will reap reciprocal benefits. “Our Institute can apply the research on early language and literacy and on parent engagement to the activities included in Helen’s books,” said Van Horn. “And Helen can help us promote family literacy through her charming children’s books as she presents at conferences and workshops for parents and educators.”

A mother of five-year-old triplets, Darling is a former standout Lady Lion basketball player. “My association with the Goodling Institute is a perfect way for me to give back to my school,” she said. “This is an awesome partnership.”

—Joe Savrock

WNBA star Helen Darling (right) and Drucie Weirauch of the Goodling Institute read one of Darling’s books to local children.

Penn State Wins $492,000 Grant to Study Mathematics Disabilities in School Children

Faculty members George Farkas and Paul Morgan are heading a $492,000 project to study the reasons behind the prevalence of mathematics

disabilities (MD) among America’s elementary students. The two-year study is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute for Education Sciences.

“Our project seeks to identify the most effective type of instruction for children with, or at risk for, mathematics disabilities,” said Morgan.

Morgan and Farkas are using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS–K), a dataset maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). In the 1998–99 academic year, NCES collected data on a cohort of 21,260 kindergarten students. Since then, NCES has been tracking the students, who now have reached middle school. The ECLS-K provides data to study the relationship between sociological factors and school performance.

“We will test whether the same instructional practices that are effective for MD students are also effective for non-MD students,” noted Morgan. “We expect that the analyses will help identify specific instructional approaches that enable children to learn both basic mathematics skills and higher-order reasoning.”

—Joe Savrock

Paul Morgan (pictured) and George Farkas are examining the reasons for mathematics disabilities in students.


New Rankings Reflect Reputation of Graduate Programs

Linking School with the Homes of an Urban Neighborhood

The households of one inner-city Philadelphia neighborhood are no longer lacking access to technology.

A new Apple desktop computer, complete with Internet capabilities, is being installed in the home of each child enrolled at Isaac A. Sheppard Elementary School. The project is expected to greatly enhance communication between the school and the parents while engaging both parents and children in learning.

Meaningful communication between the school and the students’ parents has long been meager. Sheppard School serves as an oasis within Philadelphia’s tough Kensington neighborhood, where crime and unemployment are high. Many of the parents are Puerto Rican immigrants, and some of them are illiterate in both English and Spanish.

The computer project, titled “Student Achievement Through Parent Empowerment,” is a collaboration between Sheppard School, Philadelphia School District, and Penn State’s College of Education. The $250,000 project is funded by the Office of State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione (D., Phila.). It is part of Penn State’s multifaceted Urban Teaching Collaborative, established three years ago at Sheppard School.

The project brings a wealth of learning resources for the children and their parents, many of whom would

benefit from access to learning materials related to literacy and workforce preparation.

“For Sheppard students who cannot go outside their homes after dark, computer access can mean the difference between using after-school hours to access the world and wasting their time glued to the television,” said Dan Thompson, assistant professor of social studies education at Penn State and director of the overall Urban Teaching Collaborative.

—Joe Savrock

The students of Sheppard School will be able to share resources with their parents in a home-school linkup.

Graduate programs in education are annually ranked by U.S. News & World Report. All of the College

of Education graduate programs that are ranked by the magazine appear at least in the top 15, with six programs in the top 10 (see list at right).

The College’s graduate programs as a whole rank 30 out of the 278 colleges identified by U.S. News & World Report.

Last November, the College’s programs in Counselor Education and Higher Education received first-place rankings nationwide in terms of faculty productivity. The new index, the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, is compiled by Academic Analytics.

—Suzanne Wayne

Higher Education Administration . . . . . . . . . . 2 Technical Teacher Education

(Workforce Education) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Rehabilitation Counseling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . � Education Administration/Supervision . . . . . . � Education Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Student Counseling/Personnel Services. . . . . �0Curriculum & Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ��

Elementary Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . �� Secondary Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . �2

Educational Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . �2 Special Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . �2

College Updates

� Penn State College of Education

College Updates

College of Education Makes Technology an Integral Part of Teacher Preparation

Starting in fall 2008, juniors in the College of Education will begin learning how to incorporate technology into teaching and learning.The College’s new program titled Exploring

Directions in Ubiquitous Computing and Teacher Education (EDUCATE) is a

comprehensive effort to infuse technology across the teacher education program, and includes a research focus as well as a practical focus on preparing our own students to incorporate technology into classrooms.

To make sure students have the necessary tools, the College has announced a new notebook computer requirement for the Secondary English Education and Elementary and Kindergarten Education programs, including the Early Childhood Education Option. Juniors entering these majors in fall 2008 will be the first to participate in this program.

For the past two years, students in the College’s Professional Development School (PDS) have been involved in a pilot program to investigate the benefits of using notebook computers throughout their senior year while they served as interns in classrooms in the State College Area School District.

EDUCATE is the expansion of this prototype program in which students learned how to use and create digital media such as video, audio, and print-based texts. They also were able to collaborate across distance and time efficiently with faculty and peers.

One student talked about using podcasts “about classical musicians in order to teach my students about the lives and works of these musicians. Previously, I had my students create their own podcasts, so I thought it would be interesting for them to see how someone else put together a podcast related to a completely different subject, and also because I thought it was a quick and fun way for the students to be introduced to the artists.”

Orrin Murray, who joined the College in January 2008 as a new assistant professor of education, is the director of the EDUCATE program.

Murray explained, “With EDUCATE we are introducing a powerful digital tool set that is portable and common for both students and faculty, and this will significantly enhance the type of teaching and learning possible. Other models of technology integration focused principally on teaching with various technologies. Our program takes this a step further and focuses on using digital tools to support the cycle of examining and improving upon one’s own teaching practice.”

—Suzanne Wayne


Pennsylvania is in the second year of its implementation of one of the largest, most comprehensive programs to place computers in

classrooms. Governor Rendell’s Classrooms for the Future (CFF) initiative is a multi-year, $200 million project designed to improve teaching and learning in Pennsylvania high schools by equipping English, math, science, and social studies classrooms with enhanced technology, laptop computers and other state-of-the-art resources.

The Penn State College of Education and its research partners have been contracted by the state to undertake a two-year scientific study to assess the success of this

New Study Abroad Experiences Offered to Education Students

Early findings show that in technology-enabled classrooms, teachers spend more time walking around the room and engaging with individual students and smaller student groups.

initiative. Robin Clausen, co-director of the Classrooms for the Future Evaluation Team, explains, “It will be one of the largest evaluations of 1 to 1 programs in the United States.”

The study includes collection of both qualitative data, which includes interviews with CFF coaches, principals of CFF schools, and district administrators steering the implementation of the program at the district level, and quantitative data, which includes the analysis of discipline referrals, test scores, student attendance, implementation data, surveys, and classroom observations data sets.

The first-year analysis reported that in schools that have already implemented the technology, teachers spent less time in didactic, “front of the classroom” settings,

and instead spent more time walking around the room engaging with individual students and smaller student groups, among other findings.

Second-year data sets are still being collected and analyzed, but the evaluation team is pleased to announce strong survey and observation participation rates by both teachers and students. Over 100,000 students participated in the survey, for example. Also classroom observations by district level collectors were comprehensive, enriching the data sets that will be analyzed by the team in summer 2008.

—Suzanne Wayne

Effect of Technology in Classrooms is Focus of Multi-Year Study

College of Education students are finding more and more opportunities to go abroad as part of their education. In summer 2007, students took

advantage of new programs to travel to Costa Rica and Puerto Rico.

Kathy Fadigan, assistant professor of science education from the Abington campus, partnered with Jackie McLaughlin, assistant professor of biology at the Lehigh campus, to take secondary science education students to Costa Rica as part of a biology course. The students and professors spent two weeks studying conservation biology in the field and worked with two sites studying the methods of protecting sea turtle nesting areas. The class also learned about the culture, biogeography, politics, economics, and history of the region.

In another experience abroad, students traveled to Puerto Rico to participate in the inaugural Puerto Rico Summer Institute. During the first week, students attended workshops in the mornings and then took cultural tours in the afternoons. Some of the tours included visits to the Capitol Building in San Juan, Old San Juan, Downtown Mayaguez, a lighthouse, and the Boqueron Fishing Village in Cabo Rojo. During the second week, students went to local private and public schools to observe classes and students. This two-week seminar has been established to introduce prospective teachers to the culture, language, and education system of Puerto Rico.

Both programs will be offered again in summer 2008. —Michelle Roche

College Updates


The College of Education and its partners are about to complete the second year of a five-year, $34 million contract from the U.S. Department of Education to

operate the Regional Education Laboratory—Mid-Atlantic (REL Mid-Atlantic) and coordinate the efforts of the nine other regional education labs across the country.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Regional Educational Laboratory Program consists of a network of 10 laboratories that serve the educational needs of a designated region by conducting high-quality, scientifically-based research and providing access to valid research through applied research and development projects, studies, and other related technical assistance activities.

To best serve schools and educators, the Lab has focused on two types of projects: fast-response projects and long-term randomized control trials (RCT).

The “fast-response” projects are designed to provide quick answers to real questions from educators. Lab researchers review the existing research on a need expressed by schools in the region and provide a summary of findings fairly quickly.

The first three fast-response reports were completed and published in the last year. All reports, “Subgroups and Adequate Yearly Process in Mid-Atlantic Region Schools,” “The Students with Disabilities Subgroup and Adequate Yearly Progress in Mid-Atlantic Region Schools,” and “The Predictive Validity of Selected Benchmark Assessments Used in the Mid-Atlantic Region” are available online with fast-response reports from other regional education labs at ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/.

The project findings from the first two reports were also featured in two public forums held in Pennsylvania that were attended by approximately 175 educators.

Vito A. Forlenza, Pennsylvania coordinator and laboratory extension specialist with REL-Mid-Atlantic explains, “The forums’ purpose is twofold: one, to communicate as accurately as possible the research findings, and two, to make sure this research information reaches practitioners. This second purpose is key. The lab does a lot of good things, but if it doesn’t reach practitioners then that is a problem.”

The Lab is also undertaking larger randomized control trials of different programs and curricula that are very similar to the clinical trials that might be used in medical research.

The Lab’s two current long-term studies are focused on mathematics. One is investigating the effects of Odyssey Mathematics, a CompassLearning

mathematics supplemental software program, on students’ achievement at the fourth-grade level. Schools participating in the research are implementing Odyssey Mathematics with their regular mathematics curriculum in the current school year, and data from this study should be available in the next year.

The other RCT is focused on Connected Mathematics Project 2 (CMP2), a complete mathematics curriculum for grades six through eight that was developed by Michigan State University with grants from the National Science Foundation. The Lab is currently recruiting schools to participate in this two-year study, scheduled to begin in August 2008 and continue through the 2009-10 academic year.

The five core partners in the REL Mid-Atlantic are the Penn State College of Education; the Center for Effective School Practices at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education; ICF International, a D.C. consulting firm experienced in supporting large government initiatives; the Metiri Group, a California-based consulting group with expertise in the evaluation of technology-based educational innovations; and ANALYTICA, a consulting group that designs and conducts large-scale research studies.

To learn more about the lab, call 1-866-RELMAFYI, e-mail [email protected], or visit edlabs.ed.gov/relmid-atlantic.

—Suzanne Wayne

College Updates

Regional Education Laboratory—Mid-Atlantic Provides Fast Answers to Educators’ Questions


New FacultyKaterina Bodovski has joined the faculty as assistant professor of education in the Educational Theory & Policy program. She was previously employed for five years at the Center of Children and Youth at Brookdale Institute of Human Development in Jerusalem, Israel.

Gail Boldt is associate professor of language & literacy education. She arrives from the University of Iowa, where she served on the faculty for seven years.Richard Duschl has been named the new Waterbury Chair

in Secondary Education at Penn State. Duschl most recently served as professor of science education at Rutgers University. He will join the College in August 2008.

Simon Hooper, associate professor of instructional systems, has served on the faculty at the University of Minnesota for the past 18 years. He is quite familiar with the Penn State campus, having received all three of his academic degrees here. Orrin Murray, assistant

professor of instructional systems and curriculum & instruction, arrives from the University of Michigan, where he completed his Ph.D. in educational studies and learning technology.

Stephanie Serriere is a new assistant professor of social studies education. She recently received her Ph.D. in curriculum studies from Indiana University. Deborah Smith is assistant

professor of science education. She was a teacher for the past six years at Woodcreek Magnet School for Math, Science and Engineering in Lansing, Mich. Previously, she served on the science education faculty at Michigan State University.

Gerald LeTendre, professor of educational theory & policy, is the new department head of Education Policy Studies. His appointment was effective January 1, 2008.

Spencer “Skip” Niles, professor of counselor education, has been reappointed

department head of Counselor Education, Counseling Psychology, and Rehabilitation Services. Niles has served as department head since July 2005. His reappointment extends his leadership role through June 2011.

Jacqueline Stefkovich, professor of educational leadership, became associate dean for graduate studies, research, & faculty development on January 1, 2008. She had previously been serving the College as department head of Education Policy Studies.

Hoi Suen has been conferred

the status of distinguished professor in the College of Education. A faculty member of the Educational Psychology program, Suen specializes in psychometrics and high-stakes assessment.

Carla Zembal-Saul, associate professor of science education, has been named to the newest endowed professorship in the College of Education—the Gilbert and Donna Kahn Professorship in Education in Recognition of David H. Monk and Graham B. Spanier.

Jacqueline Stefkovich

Hoi Suen

Carla Zembal-Saul

Gerald LeTendre

Katerina Bodovski

Simon Hooper

Stephanie Serriere

Deborah Smith

Orrin Murray

Faculty Appointments

Richard Duschl

Gail Boldt

Spencer “Skip” Niles

College Updates

�0 Penn State College of Education

Feature: Student Volunteerism and Philanthropy

��Penn State Education

College Updates

Four College Faculty Recognized as Fulbright Scholars

Four College of Education faculty members were among 13 Penn Staters

acknowledged recently by The Chronicle of Higher Education as winners of Fulbright awards.

Murry Nelson, professor of social studies education, was recognized as a Traditional Fulbright Scholar for 2007–08. He is serving as the László Országh Distinguished Chair in American Studies with the School of English and American Studies at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary.

David Post, professor of comparative & international education, is a New Century Scholar for 2007–08. He and 30 other international scholars convene to debate, conduct research, and seek solutions to critical issues affecting all humankind. The topic of this year’s program is “Higher Education in the 21st Century: Access and Equity.”

Ravinder Koul and Beverly Lindsay received Fulbright Senior Specialist grants for the past academic year. The Senior Specialist program provides short-term opportunities for U.S. faculty and professionals to collaborate with counterparts at non-U.S. postsecondary institutions on development, planning, and other activities. Koul, associate professor of science education at Penn State Great Valley, did his project in Thailand at King Mongkut’s University of Technology. Lindsay, professor of higher education, did her Senior Specialist work at Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique.

—Joe Savrock

Graduate Students Have Strong Showing in National Fellowship Competition

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) has awarded 12 prestigious doctoral fellowships to residential and online graduate students in the Penn State College of Education.

Only 30 fellowships were awarded nationally, and the next greatest amount of fellowships awarded to multiple students at the same university totaled four.

The fellowships consist of up to $10,000 annually for up to three years of full- or part-time graduate study. The fellowships were funded by the National Center for Education Statistics.

The award recipients from Penn State are Nora Galambos, Wendy Hall, Betty Harper, Benjamin Klimczak, Ann Lehman, Mitzi Lewis, Eric Lovik, Mary Lynch, Bryan Pearson, Barry Smith, Robert Sweatman, and Kathryn Yerkes.

The goal of the AIR fellowship competition is to provide professional development opportunities to doctoral students, institutional researchers, educators, and administrators, ultimately fostering the more effective use of federal databases for institutional research in postsecondary education.

—Laura Ormsby

Higher Education students meet together in the Center for the Study of Higher Education library.

Professional Development Opportunities Available through Penn StatePenn State offers many opportunities for professional development, including certificates and degrees, Saturday seminars, online seminars or courses, on-campus summer and evening courses, and Web sites. Many of these courses are approved for ACT 48 credit.

You can learn about all of these opportunities at www.ed.psu.edu/educ/alumni-friends/prof-dev

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES


ALUMNI SOCIETY AWARDS: CALL FOR NOMINATIONSWe are looking for distinguished alumni!

The College Alumni Society Awards program needs nominations from you! Awards include:

Excellence in Education Honors alumni with significant career contributions to education.

Outstanding Teaching Award Honors alumni with career achievements as a classroom teacher.

Leadership & Service Award Honors alumni with career achievements in or outside of the field of education.

Outstanding New Graduate Honors recent graduates who have distinguished themselves in their new careers.

Nominations received before January 31 each year are reviewed as a group. Awards are presented in a ceremony each fall. Nominations may be made at any time. Self-nominations are welcome.

www.ed.psu.edu/educ/alumni-friends/award

Alumni Society Honors Award Winners

2007 College of Education Alumni Society Award Winners

(seated, left to right) Ruth Kaminski, Sally Lima, Clifford Bennett; (standing, left to right) Robin Tridico, Juliana Jones, Matt Landis, Dina Leslie, Jill Ingram

The College of Education Alumni Society honored its 2007 award recipients last October. The Society sponsors awards in five categories for alumni and

student teachers who have distinguished themselves in their profession.

The nomination period for the 2008 awards ended on February 15, 2008. The 2008 award winners will be announced and honored at a ceremony in October 2008.

Excellence in Education Ruth Kaminski ’75 B.S. Speech Pathology Eugene, OR

Outstanding Teaching Sally Lima ‘84 M.A. EDTHP, ‘90 Ph.D. EDTHP Lock Haven, PA

Leadership & Service Clifford Bennett ‘76 D.Ed. C&I Cleveland, OH

Outstanding New Graduate Robin Tridico ‘05 B.S. SECED Malvern, PA

Outstanding Student Teaching Fall Semester 2006

Dina Leslie ‘06 SECEDHarrisburg, PA

Juliana Jones ‘06 EK EDGlenshaw, PAOutstanding Student

Teaching Spring Semester 2007

Jill Ingram ‘07 EK EDLewistown, PA

Matt Landis ‘07 SECEDPerkasie, PA

College Updates


Feature: Student Engagement

Making a Difference

A number of College of Education students are juggling classes, homework, part-time or full-time work, and numerous extracurricular and social

activities. In addition to this, many in the College also find time to give of themselves through service to their community, with no desire for reward or recognition other than the knowledge that they might be making life better for someone or society in general.

The following pages contain features on just a few of our students. In addition to the activities featured here, students are serving the College through participation on the College of Education Student Council or the Dean’s Advisory Committee, which is actively engaged in planning Cycle-thon.

Others are involved in their communities through organized programs such as Habitat for Humanity and Big

Brothers Big Sisters. Some are getting a jumpstart on their education careers by volunteering as interns

at Shaver’s Creek, Penn State’s local nature center, or by volunteering as tutors to students in local school districts or for their peers at Penn State.

The College is proud of these students, and we applaud their efforts.

College of Education

Students are Finding

Many Ways to

Lend a Hand


It is difficult to explain the Penn State Dance Marathon or THON to anyone who has never seen it. The event itself has the feel of a carnival. The Bryce Jordan

Center floor is awash in color. Beach balls are constantly in motion as dancers and visitors volley them around the floor. Once every hour, the dancers perform the line dance, and supporters in the stands dance with them. The view is almost surreal, as hundreds of arms and hands move in perfect unison together.

But this weekend-long party is just the culmination of a year’s work. Thousands of students across the Penn State system have worked and planned for this event, and the results are impressive. This year, THON earned $6.6 million.

THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Over its 36-year history, participants have raised millions of dollars for charity, with the majority going to the Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Children’s Hospital. The funds sponsor research for cancer cures and provide needed relief funds for families of children with cancer or “THON families.”

Many Penn State students and alumni consider THON to be a quintessential part of Penn State, and what is most impressive about the event is the fact that it is planned and executed completely by students. These students are focused, dedicated, and truly inspired to work hard “For the Kids,” which is the motto of THON.

More than 3,700 Penn State students from throughout the system contributed to the 2008 event in some way. Some students danced, which means that they stood for 46 hours straight. Many others provided security, organized performances, games, and other morale-boosting activities for the dancers. For weeks and months before the event, students spent hours raising money,

meeting with “THON Families” and going on “canning” weekends, which is when students spend a weekend standing in front of a store to collect donations from store visitors and passerbys in support of THON.

The College of Education was well represented at THON this year. Students participated as dancers, served on various THON committees, and visited the event to show their support for their fellow students.

Heather Detwiler, a sophomore in elementary and kindergarten education, Samantha Gould, a junior in elementary and kindergarten education, Catherine Kennerknecht, a junior in elementary and kindergarten education, and Allison Renaut, a senior in elementary and kindergarten education, represented the student chapter of the Pennsylvania State Education Association (SPSEA) at the 2008 dance. Detwiler and Renaut worked together as co-chairs of the SPSEA THON committee this year.

Detwiler has been involved in THON since her freshman year, and she was inspired to get involved to help the kids affected by cancer. “Basically it is for the kids. All the work, the raising money, and meeting with others is to support the kids and help their families to pay the bills,” she shared.

This was Renaut’s second year as a dancer in THON, so she knew how physically demanding it is to stay on your feet for 46 hours straight. Renaut is finishing her student teaching at Ferguson Township Elementary in State College, Pa. She took off the Monday after the weekend to recover, but was back in the classroom on Tuesday.

“I remember talking with someone after THON last year. They asked how I felt, and I thought ‘I could do another THON two days from now if they had one.’ The hard work all year, the fatigue, all those emotions, it is all worth it,” Renaut said.

Detwiler recognizes how her involvement in THON will aid her in her future career. “I have gained leadership, organization, and personal communication skills. You have to be very professional as you work with other members and ask the general public and corporations for donations.”

The dedication of THON students inspires many. Across Pennsylvania, “mini THON’s” have sprung up in elementary, junior highs, and high schools, many organized by education alumni or student teachers who have taken the THON tradition to their new schools (see next page).

—Suzanne Wayne

Dance Marathon: In Perfect Unison

Students cheer the $6.6 million raised for THON 2008.


�� Penn State College of Education


Penn State Berks Students Organize a “Mini THON” Last December, 225 teens from Northeast Middle School in Reading, Pa., raised $1,022 to benefit THON, Penn State’s annual philanthropic dance marathon.

Penn State Berks sophomores Mathew Kovalich, an elementary and kindergarten education major, and Kahlie Long, also an elementary and kindergarten education major, coordinated the fund-raising dance called “Dance for the Cure. “

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

Kovalich and Long are employed as learning assistants at Northeast Middle School with the Penn State Educational Partnership Program (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.

—Joe Savrock


Chorman’s involvement with the project was multifaceted. He was the leader of the Car-Home team, which finalized the electric vehicle and the batteries that are used with the house.

He also used his education background to develop an educational kiosk that was on display for the over 250,000 visitors who toured the home when it was on display at the National Mall in Washington D.C.

“In the kiosk, we discuss energy storage technologies that will be researched upon the house’s return to PSU. I used a LEGO version of our house with a working toy fuel cell car to show the public what we plan to research in the future with the home,” said Chorman.

“At the competition, there was such a great mix of skeptics, enthusiastic environmentalists, and those who didn’t have a clue what was going on. They all were interested, and I felt like I reached out to a lot of them with our message of how close solar technologies are to becoming a reality in many homes in the world.”

The project has been a great educational endeavor at Penn State. Since it began in September 2005, it has had an estimated educational footprint of 900-plus students and has involved many other people from Penn State and the local community.

The MorningStar project does not end with this success. The home will return to Penn State’s University Park campus, where it will serve as a permanent renewable energy research lab and outreach facility at Penn State’s Center for Sustainability. Shortly after the competition, Gov. Edward Rendell announced that Penn State will receive a $560,000 grant for MorningStar as part

of a statewide $11 million investment into 24 alternative and renewable energy projects. Penn State is also planning to participate in the 2009 Solar Decathlon competition.

Chorman is also earning his certification in physics along with his M.Ed., and will student teach this spring in Norway. He completed his B.S. at Penn State in mechanical engineering and economics.

—Suzanne Wayne

Student Uses Science and Education Background to Support Penn State Solar Decathlon Team

“I reached out to a lot of them with our message of how close solar technologies are to becoming a reality in many homes in the world.”

Tom Chorman, a Curriculum and Instruction master’s student in science education, has spent over a year working with a Penn State team to

develop a state-of-the-art home that functions completely on solar power.

The Solar Decathlon is an international competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy for university teams to design and build a completely solar-powered home. The home must also be transportable so that it can be taken to Washington D.C. for the final competition.

The Penn State Solar Decathlon team worked for over two years to develop their home, which they call MorningStar. During the October 2007 competition, MorningStar won 4th place overall out of 20 universities.

(Above) Decathlon visitors tour the house on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

(Right) A LEGO model of the house and model car demonstrated the future MorningStar research program to visitors.


�� Penn State College of Education


First-Year Seminar Students Volunteer in Community

Instead of papers or exams, students in Jennifer Crissman Ishler’s College of Education First-Year Seminar class (ED 100S) found a different challenge.

Crissman Ishler, assistant professor in the College of Health and Human Development and an affiliate assistant professor of education, assigned students in both of her ED 100S courses to volunteer at local community service outlets. Altogether, 48 students performed 144 hours of community service across State College.

Students served in a variety of places, including the Food Bank, Special Olympics, St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Store, and Brookline Retirement Home.

Crissman Ishler organized each class into four groups of six students. Each student in the group was assigned to complete three hours towards their project. They were then required to write a group paper including research on issues such as poverty and hunger in America.

Each group also created electronic presentations of their research that they shared with their class. These presentations included pictures of their volunteer work and their objectives. These formal presentations also gave these future educators a chance to practice their teaching skills.

The students said that they had learned a lot from this course as well as from the volunteer experience. Liz Hartigan, a first-year student interested in elementary and kindergarten education, said, “I am so glad I took Professor Crissman Ishler’s class. When we were done, I felt extremely good about myself for reaching out and helping towards a great cause. I’m so glad I chose to do it with St. Vincent DePaul.”

Another student, Megan Simmons, who is interested in majoring in elementary and kindergarten education said, “This experience was one I will always have with me and one that has motivated me to help out more.”

Crissman Ishler believes that it is a great way for them to learn how to build a strong peer support group as well as share a sense of community with each other and members of the community. “Plus, I think it is good that—as education majors—they learn how to work with others and start to give back,” she said.

—Michelle Roche

“This experience was one I will always have with me and one that has motivated me to help out more.”

A Taste of Teaching in the City: The Philadelphia Urban Seminar

“The nervousness soon evaporated after the first day. It became comfortable and routine to walk around and check their work and help them out. After getting to know them, I transitioned from worrying about myself to worrying about them.”

—Catherine Campbell, sophomore, elementary education

Campbell, along with 18 other future teachers, spent two weeks observing and teaching in Philadelphia public schools last May, participating

in the innovative Philadelphia Urban Seminar. Organized under the direction of Larry Vold, faculty member at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Penn State teaching candidates joined with over 300 preservice teachers across the state to get a first-hand look at urban teaching in Pennsylvania.

The 18 elementary teaching candidates—and one secondary social studies candidate—spent two weeks in urban classrooms, cleaned up a city park as part of a community service project, and participated in touring the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the National Constitution Center, and other must-see places in the city.

Continued on next page

A student teacher addresses students in an urban Philadelphia classroom.


Counselor Education Faculty and Students Volunteer Their Services to Bellefonte Children’s Celebration

The students were housed in the dormitories at LaSalle University. Each morning vans from 19 Pennsylvania campuses took future teachers into classrooms throughout Philadelphia. At the end of the school day, the students were brought to LaSalle for seminars and lectures from School District of Philadelphia teachers and officials, and guest speakers who addressed issues of classroom management in the urban classroom, how to support foster children in the classroom, and ways to make teaching in the city a gratifying career. The students also participated in seminars with their respective university supervisors as they “unpacked” each day’s events.

Krista Coville, a sophomore in elementary and kindergarten education, provided a telling example of the commitment displayed by Penn State students in the program. Placed at Isaac Sheppard Elementary School, she was quick to pick up on the students’ under-funded playground equipment budget. As her birthday was coming up, she asked family members for playground equipment for the school in lieu of a personal gift. The following day the van—overflowing with soccer balls and other kid-friendly outdoor equipment—pulled onto the school ground and was met with smiles and cheers by the kids.

“It was an amazingly thoughtful idea, and pulling it off while camping out at LaSalle University is very telling about the quality of students we have in our teacher education programs,” said Dan Thompson, Penn State assistant professor of social studies education. Thompson, along with graduate student Allison Kootsikas, supervised the Penn State students at the Urban Seminar.

The program opened the eyes of the Penn State participants. As Emily Coombs, a sophomore in elementary and kindergarten education, explained, “After these past two weeks, I have found that I might like to do my student teaching in Philadelphia. I really enjoyed working with these wonderful students. I would love to touch and teach children who really need me.”

—Dan Thompson

“It just has to feel so great knowing that you made a kid smile today.” Hearing these words from the parent of a young child was especially

rewarding for Kristen Gill.Gill and seven other graduate students from Penn

State’s Counselor Education program joined faculty members JoLynn Carney and Richard Hazler as volunteers at the 2007 “An Old Fashioned Sunday in Bellefonte” celebration, held September 23. “Old Fashioned Sunday” is an annual event, part of the America’s Day for Kids celebration that promotes family interaction and fun.

“I really enjoyed how appreciative the families all seemed to be toward the members of the Penn State counselor education class who were participating,” said Gill.

The Counselor Education program served as one of several sponsors for the event. Hazler and Carney organized various activities and the program’s graduate students staffed the booths. Among the activities were sand art crafts, play dough making, and face painting. Carney and Hazler helped out wherever needed.

“I felt a sense of fulfillment and pride,” said Collette Smith, one of the Counselor Education students. “It was really amazing to watch parents or older guardians help a child out with the activities. There was so much community involvement with the youth and between different organizations.”

“It was really amazing to watch parents or older guardians help a child out with the activities. There was so much community involvement with the youth and between different organizations.”

Continued from previous page

Continued on page 20

Kids and their parents enjoy an “Old Fashioned Sunday” together.




Penn State Online Student Sees Both Sides of New McDonald’s Partnership

Shelly Hicks is pursuing an online master’s degree in adult education while continuing her career as a corporate trainer with McDonald’s.

A new alliance is adding some blue and white to the golden arches. A recently signed agreement allows students from Hamburger University, McDonald’s

corporate training facility, to turn their training into college credit.

Penn State Online, a unit of Penn State Outreach, has provided online educational opportunities for thousands of students over the past ten years. Under the alliance agreement with McDonald’s, the American Council on Education recommends college credit that can be used toward an online Penn State undergraduate certificate or degree.

As a corporate trainer and Penn State Online student, Shelly Hicks understands the value of this alliance. Shelly hadn’t taken any college courses when she started working as a manager trainee at a Nashville McDonald’s franchise in 1986. Now she is set to receive a Penn State Online master’s degree.

After earning a bachelor’s degree and becoming a McDonald’s corporate trainer, Hicks realized she had a passion for teaching adults. She turned to Penn State’s online master’s degree program in adult education to enrich her own life and help thousands of other McDonald’s employees.

“Once I started [taking the classes], I was hooked,” she said. “I was able to develop critical thinking skills because of the participation requirements, much more so than [I would have at] a face-to-face campus. The team challenges were the same experience as in my work world, so I was able to develop better team-building dynamics and competencies.”

Hicks said she enjoyed sharing ideas with her professors and classmates, people she called a “wide range of professional peers.” Despite their different roles in adult education, Hicks and her classmates shared similar situations and benefited from the program’s practical curriculum.

“There’s such a wide variety from educators in the army to educators in the medical field to adult basic education and even a couple of other corporate trainers,” she said. “Their experience allowed me to think differently about situations I might be in at work.”

Hicks said that courses with Melody Thompson, assistant professor of education, helped improve her

critical thinking skills and develop what she called “360-degree vision” on historical and social issues in adult education. She was prompted to think about how her personal beliefs may impact her job as an educator.

Hicks spent 13 years working for McDonald’s in Nashville before moving back to her home state of Ohio to work in one of the

company’s regional offices. In her current role as a human resources manager she works with a team of corporate trainers who educate McDonald’s employees at all levels throughout the Ohio region.

Though Hicks has already gone far within the company, a Penn State degree opens up seemingly limitless opportunities after she graduates in August.

“There are endless ladders here—there really is no glass ceiling,” she said. “I can grow into our instructional design department, our human resources development group, or even work at our corporate training university, where we house our international training headquarters.”

Hamburger University, founded in 1961, is a worldwide management training center for McDonald’s. The primary campus, located in Oak Brook, Illinois, has graduated more than 70,000 managers and has 30 resident professors.

Hicks said that Penn State’s convenient and flexible online program made it easy for her to focus on school without “sweating the small stuff.” She explained, “I did not have to spend time finding a sitter or trying to get off work early. I did not have to worry about parking or the weather. The time I would have spent traveling to and from a face-to-face campus was now spent reading the textbook and having conversations about the topics at hand with my professional class colleagues.”

To learn more about College of Education degrees delivered online through the Penn State World Campus visit: www.worldcampus.psu.edu/edalumni

—Jenna Spinelle and Matt SwaynePenn State Outreach


Hundreds of children and their parents took part in a wide variety of free activities. And the food prices were reasonable—hamburgers, hot dogs, and ice cream sold for only 25 cents each. About 40 businesses, groups, and organizations planned or participated. The event was

organized by the Bellefonte Family Resource Center, a community organization that advocates healthy and positive development of children.

The Penn State Counselor Education program enjoys a strong connection not only with the “Old Fashioned Sunday” activities, but also with the Center

Kara Callahan and Christa Harmotto Help Lady Lions Volleyball Team to NCAA Championship

It was an unforgettable ride for Kara Callahan, Christa Harmotto, and the rest of the Penn State Lady Lions volleyball team.

Callahan and Harmotto, both students in the elemen-tary and kindergarten education program of the College of Education, helped the Lady Lions win the 2007 national championship with their outstanding play both during the season and at the NCAA tournament in December.

All season long, both women played key roles for the top-ranked Lady Lions, who finished the season with a 33-2 record.

Callahan, a 5-foot-8 senior, is highly recognized around the Big Ten as a defensive standout. “In being a defensive specialist, it is your job to step in there, dig the impossible balls, and get the team fired up,” she said.

“As the old saying goes, the game is won because of defense,” she continued. “But a little offense does not hurt. Everyone loves the hard hitters of volleyball. They have all of the pizzazz.”

Harmotto is one of the team’s offensive net threats. A 6-foot-2 junior, she is a dominating middle hitter. She had an outstanding season and was named the Big Ten player of the year.

The Lady Lions went through the NCAA tournament with unstoppable momentum, sweeping all five of their opponents leading up to the championship game against Stanford.

In the championship round, played before a national television audience December 15 in Sacramento, Calif., Penn State and Stanford battled to a split of their first four games, forcing a winner-take-all final Game 5.

Penn State won the dramatic finale, 15–8. Harmotto had two kills during a critical seven-point run that gave the Lady Lions a commanding 10–4 lead. She was named the tournament’s “Most Improved Player.”

“Everything imaginable was going through my mind when we won,” recalls Harmotto. “I laughed. I screamed. I cried with tears of joy.”

Callahan was moved by all the attention. “After we

Continued from page 18

Penn State’s Christa Harmotto, left, blocks the shot of California’s Carli Lloyd during their semifinal match of the Women’s Division I NCAA volleyball championship in Sacramento, Calif. on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)




Kara Callahan and Christa Harmotto Help Lady Lions Volleyball Team to NCAA Championship

County Communities that Care network, for which Carney and Hazler are board members. The vision of Communities that Care is that there will be places where all children are safe, connected to others, encouraged to learn, explore their world, and be supported by a web of concerned adults. Centre County is a part of this national

organization that emphasizes a prevention process in which communities evaluate the risks that affect the healthy development of youth and implement research-based programs to diminish those risks.

—Joe Savrock

won, there were a great deal of students, faculty, and fans that showed us support,” she says. “It has been amazing to see how much people really care about Penn State athletics. We feel that we were not just winning a national championship for our team, but for all of Penn State.”

“All the hype and glam is really nice,” noted Harmotto, “but the best part was sharing the experience with my team.”

Becoming a great volleyball player is largely dependent on a person’s natural athleticism, but to earn a national championship, a team’s players must apply unending discipline and hard work—qualities that indeed can be taught.

And Callahan and Harmotto, as future teachers, are well set to teach discipline and hard work to children. They know fully how hard work can lead to a national championship. Their dedication on the volleyball court carries into the classroom as well: both earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.

Harmotto will be returning to anchor next season’s Lady Lions team. She envisions herself eventually teaching in the mid-levels of elementary school, perhaps third or fourth grade. “I would also like to coach high school,” she says.

“Harmotto has all the intangibles to have her excel with young people—she is enthusiastic, intelligent, and a fabulous role model,” said Penn State head coach Russ Rose. “Her ability to always have a smile and maintain belief in herself and others will certainly shine when she enters into the world of education. That and the fact that she is one of the best athletes in the country should enhance her entry.”

Harmotto also hopes to extend her volleyball career beyond next season. “My dream is to play in the Olympics,” she says. “Also, I would like to play professional volleyball for as long as my body holds up, maybe in Brazil, Italy, or Puerto Rico.”

Although Callahan’s college volleyball career is over now, it ended at the highest level—with a national championship. She expects to graduate this fall and enter the teaching field. “After I have established myself as a

successful teacher, I hope to coach a youth club team or work within the district,” she said. “Volleyball and teaching are my passions in life, so teaching and coaching would make a perfect combination.”

Coach Rose noted that, “Kara has a great energy about her that kept the team loose and will certainly allow her to score with her students once she becomes a teacher. She is fun, engaging, and has selected the perfect vocation to pursue.”

Callahan has a strong interest in children’s literature. At this season’s team banquet, she analogized her favorite Penn State experiences with the children’s books of the late Shel Silverstein, a renowned author.

Realizing that her exceptional playing career has ended, Callahan often points to a quote from another children’s book author, Dr. Suess: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

—Joe Savrock

From left, Penn State’s Jessica Yanz, Kelsey Ream, Kara Callahan and Ann Naylor, celebrate in the closing moment of their win over California in the semifinals of the Women’s Division I NCAA volleyball championships in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

2�Penn State Education

2008

Upcoming College of Education Events

Upcoming College of Education Events

6Every summer, the Alumni Association plans tours, lectures, dinners, and receptions that will reacquaint you with your classmates and with your alma mater. For more information, visit www.alumni.psu.edu/events/reunions/traditional.htm

Friday, June 6: Traditional Reunion Weekend

26

Alumni are invited to hear presentations from our current PDS interns. For more information, visit www.ed.psu.edu/pds/10alumni/alumni.html

Saturday, April 26: Professional Development School Reunion and Inquiry Conference

Join alumni, faculty, staff, and students of the Higher Education Program at the Higher Education Program Alumni Council’s symposium and reunion. More information is available. See page 29 or www.ed.psu.edu/educ/alumni-friends/hepac/2008-symposium/

27–29Friday–Sunday, June 27–29: Higher Education Program Alumni Council: Symposium

10You and your family are invited to a fun evening of baseball at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, one of the nation’s newest and brightest minor league stadiums. Watch the State College Spikes take on the Hudson Valley Renegades. For more information, see page 24 or contact Craig Eozzo at cje115@psu.

Thursday, July 10: College of Education Night with the Spikes

1Students in the Summer College Opportunity Program in Education (SCOPE) will present posters on education-related topics covered in their summer course. SCOPE students are high school sophomores from multicultural backgrounds who spend a month at Penn State to get a taste of college life. Contact Maria Schmidt, SCOPE director, at [email protected]

Friday, Aug. 1: SCOPE Poster Session

Family and friends are welcome! This year’s Cycle-thon consists of two rides—a 13-mile loop and a less-challenging seven-mile loop. Both rides begin at 10:00 a.m. and explore the scenic bike paths throughout the Centre region. College community members are invited to participate in a picnic afterwards. Cycle-thon benefits the College’s Summer College Opportunity Program in Education (SCOPE). More information is available on page 27 and at www.ed.psu.edu/educ/cyclethon

27Sunday, April 27: Cycle-thon and Picnic

Educational Leadership alumni are invited to attend a reunion that includes a “tailgate,” football game, and an awards program sponsored by the Pennsylvania School Study Council. Complete details will be mailed in summer 2008.

September Educational Leadership Brunch

These convenient, interactive online seminars provide educators with preparation and support on a variety of topics. They are presented by familiar faculty members and specialists. New EdLion seminars are being added regularly. Keep checking the schedule at www.ed.psu.edu/educ/edlion/

Free EdLion Seminars


Harry L. Eberly, a 1945 graduate with a Bachelor of Science

in Chemical Engineering from Penn State’s College of Engineering, has been named a 2008 Distinguished Alumnus. The award is the highest honor that the University bestows upon an outstanding alumna or alumnus. The award salutes the achievements of outstanding

alumni whose “personal lives, professional achievements, and community service exemplify the objectives of their alma mater.” The University will honor Eberly along with eight other recipients at a reception and dinner on June 7.

Eberly began his career as an engineer for Western Electric from 1945 to 1949 in New York. Between 1949 and 1972 he worked for RCA, where he held various operating and staff positions in manufacturing, engineering, and business planning. He joined Telex Computer products in 1972 and held various management positions before rising to the position of executive vice president responsible for the worldwide supply operation, including research and development, service support, sales support, manufacturing, and product design. After 45-plus years in the electronics industry, he retired in March 1990.

While his degree is in engineering, his dedication to the College of Education and the field of education is significant. During the Campaign for Penn State, Eberly served as chair of the Region VII major gifts committee. He led the College of Education’s development committee from 2000 until the successful conclusion of the Grand Destiny campaign. During the Investing in People initiatives, which ended in 2007, Eberly advised the College as an emeritus member of the committee and

currently serves Penn State as a presidential counselor.

“Through his generosity, leadership, and his belief in the mission of Penn State’s College of Education, Harry encourages excellence at every level of our country’s education system,” said College of Education Dean David Monk. “His selfless commitment to improving the lives of others is what makes him an inspiring leader and example to others.”

Eberly has extensive experience as a board member and advisory council member for a multitude of organizations, ranging from professional organizations in engineering to educational and community involvement in groups such as the United Way.

Eberly and his wife, Marion established three endowments to benefit both the students and faculty of the College of Education at Penn State: The Harry and Marion Royer Eberly Scholars, a merit-based award for the most talented students planning careers in education; The Harry and Marion Royer Eberly Faculty Fellowship in Education; and The Harry and Marion Royer Eberly Endowed Professorship in Education. These gifts have enabled the College of Education to further its important contributions to the study of educational policy, civic education, and student achievement.

Reflecting on his dedication to education, Eberly says, “For me it was evident after World War II that the K-12 sector needed help, and this has been the basis for my continuing involvement in the College of Education. Hopefully, we’re fostering the lessons we learned as students at Penn State.”

The Eberlys reside in Raleigh, North Carolina, and have two daughters: Jenny Ellen Eberly Holmes and Susan Lynn Eberly Patrick and four grandchildren.

—Pamela Batson

Alumni Award Winners

2008 Distinguished Alumni Award Harry L. Eberly Named

Distinguished Alumnus of Penn State


Bulent Tarman ’06 Ph.D. recognizes the importance of

introducing foreign languages to students in their early elementary school years. “Children who learn another language at an early age tend to reach higher cognitive levels earlier in their lives than do their monolingual peers,” he says.

On that premise, Tarman spearheaded the establishment of Young Scholars of Central PA Charter School (YSCPCS) three years ago. YSCPCS students are learning two foreign languages—Spanish and Chinese—as part of their regular curricula, starting in kindergarten.

Tarman, the school’s principal and chief executive officer, is the winner of a 2008 Alumni Achievement Award. The University-sponsored awards recognize high-achieving alumni 35 years of age or younger for outstanding accomplishments in their field. Alumni Achievement Award winners are invited by the University president to return to campus to share their expertise with students, faculty, and administrators.

YSCPCS is the product of Tarman’s great vision and hard work—and, as he asserts, intense planning. “Turning hopes and dreams about a new school into reality is a demanding project,” he says. “Wishful thinking and good intentions are no substitutes for realism.”

Located in State College, YSCPCS has filled a void in the region’s educational offerings; it is the first multicultural and multilingual elementary school in Centre County to provide a dynamic global learning environment by teaching foreign languages at all grade levels.

“Research shows that the youngest brains have the greatest ability for absorbing language and that someone who is bilingual at a young age will have an easier time learning a third or fourth language later on,” he says. “They are cognitively, affectively, and socially more flexible than adolescents or adults.”

YSCPCS is reaching the goals of success that Tarman had envisioned when he first founded the school. “But once we reach our goal, we keep raising the bars for dynamic improvement,” he says. “Therefore our ongoing goal as an alternative to the traditional school system centers on creating a dynamic global learning environment that works best for students’ needs, fostering individual interests and a love for learning in the broadest sense.”

The school recently earned a Keystone Achievement Award for meeting its Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) targets for two consecutive years.

YSCPCS administrators are getting positive feedback from parents. Surveys show that 98% of the parents are highly satisfied with the education their children are receiving. The school’s unique program has strong appeal in the community—some 150 children are on a waiting list, hoping to be able to enroll someday.

—Joe Savrock

2008 Alumni Achievement Award

Bulent Tarman Wins 2008 Alumni Achievement Award for Charter School Work

2� Penn State College of Education

Make plans now to join your hosts, the College of Education Alumni Society Board, at the Penn State College of Education Night with the Spikes.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

7:05 p.m.

Medlar Field at Lubrano Park in State College, PA

Discounted Ticket Rate: $10.00

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME!Act now, and reserve your seats in the College

of Education section, located in the Diamond Club Level, Section 101, between 1st and 3rd base. Please call with your credit card ready (all major credit cards). Contact Brian Murphy, Ticket Account Manager, at: Ph: (814) 272-1711 Ext. 323. Tickets are available at the discount price until June 20.

Children under 2 years of age do not need a ticket, but they will have to sit in the lap of a parent.

Medlar Field at Lubrano Park is committed to providing affordable, fun, family entertainment! This upcoming season is shaping up to make for an unbelievably entertaining summer as the Spikes are now the Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates!

Alumni Award Winners



The conditions are crude and uninviting—widespread poverty, broken infrastructure, and schools and hospitals in shambles. Sierra Leone is

one of the world’s poorest countries, still reeling six years after the end of a bitter 11-year civil war.

But the missionary work of a selfless Penn State College of Education alumna is helping the third-world West African nation rebound. Gwen Smith ’96 EK ED feels that one of the best ways to improve Sierra Leone’s future is to transform the country’s broken and struggling education system.

Smith is a coordinating supervisor for Transformation Education, working under the umbrella of the global relief organization World Hope International and in partnership with EduNations. “EduNations raises money and partners with local organizations for development of schools, assisting them to become self-sustaining,” says Smith.

Education is a low priority for many in the country. Coping with basic life issues takes precedence. The literacy rate for Sierra Leonians is only 36 percent. About half of the primary-age children are enrolled in school; fewer than half of those make it past fifth grade.

The schools are in extremely poor condition. There is very little money to support the classrooms. Teachers and students scrape up any resources they can—even paper, pens, and books are extremely precious commodities. Many of the teachers work without regular pay, or with minimal pay.

Smith’s current task, training the teachers in Sierra Leone, is enormous. She conducts workshops for Sierra Leone teachers, only 40 percent of whom are actually qualified to teach. “This is a challenging but worthy cause,” she says with optimism.

Since 2006, Smith has been directly involved with training more than 450 teachers. Most of her workshops have been held in two-day sessions, although she worked with 12 teachers on a daily basis for four months.

Smith’s workshops provide much-needed professional development to the schools’ teachers and administrators. As a missionary, she also lends a Christian element to her work. “I try to apply my instruction based on (author) John Maxwell’s process of model, mentor, monitor, motivate, and multiply,” she said.

At a recent workshop where she taught “Methods of Teaching and Classroom Management,” Smith was observed by the principal of one of Sierra Leone’s five teacher colleges and the director of higher education for the country’s Ministry of Education. “They both said that I am welcome for future training in the college and with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology,” said Smith. “They value the introduction of new methods of teaching. Every time we have done workshops, we have been invited to do more.”

Living and working in the capital city of Freetown, Smith shares a house with four other women who likewise are doing missionary work. She recently returned to Sierra Leone after spending about three years on several continents working with Mercy Ships, a humanitarian organization involved in child development.

Water and electricity utilities around Freetown, as in most areas of the country, are sporadic. Electricity is available an average of only ten hours a week. Roads are in poor condition—rocky, bumpy, and difficult to navigate. Many bridges are in ruins. “A trip that should take two hours ends up taking five hours,” Smith says.

Sierra Leone’s civil war erupted in 1991, when rebel combatants sought to take control of the nation’s lucrative diamond mines. In the process, they committed horrible atrocities, killing residents of entire villages. They enslaved women, left many people as amputees, and manipulated orphaned children, forcing them to take drugs and become child soldiers. Hunger spread, and the use of women in prostitution flourished.

Now, in the aftermath of the war, Sierra Leone’s living conditions are difficult. Family income is just $140 per year. The life expectancy is only 34 years.

Even while trying to sprout an improved attitude among the country’s educators, Smith has a positive outlook. “We’re thankful for office items,” she said. “The Transformation Education office is now better equipped than most offices in Sierra Leone. I have visited many offices of government officials, college professors, and principals of schools, and many of those offices lack even basic items such as a file cabinet and stapler. Many others don’t have computers or printers because they have no electricity.”

Alumni Profiles

Continued on next page

Alum Gwen Smith Takes Her Teaching Profession to War-Ravaged Sierra Leone

Gwen Smith is working for better educational opportunities for the children of Sierra Leone.


Clifford Bennett Joins Alumni Society Board of Directors

Penn State’s College of Education welcomes Clifford Bennett ’76 D.Ed. as the newest member of its

Alumni Society Board of Directors.Bennett is a professor at Cleveland

State University, where he is chairman of the Department of Teacher Education. Among his achievements as chairman over the past seven years were the recruitment and hiring of the department’s first eight African American and Hispanic faculty members. His department also attracted the largest number of grant dollars at the university—including the six-year, $36 million Ohio Reading First Center, a $3 million LEAPS in Early Childhood Literacy grant, and multiple federal and state awards for the Center of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Education.

Previously, Bennett was a tenured faculty member at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He has been deeply involved with community work, having served as a member of the Charlottesville City School Board, the Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical Education Center, and the executive committee of the College and University Faculty Assembly of the National Council for Social Studies.

Bennett completed his doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction at Penn State in 1976. He earned his masters degree in history and education from John Carroll University and his bachelor of arts in political science from Lincoln (Pa.) University. In 2007, the Alumni Society of Penn State’s College of Education awarded Bennett with its Leadership and Service Award (see page 12).

—Joe Savrock

FREE ONLINE SEMINARS for College of Education Alumni

Continued from previous page

Overcoming the tribulations of poverty takes an aggressive mindset. “My goal includes two steps,” says Smith. “First is to help people understand that each person is valuable and has contri-butions to make to society. The second step is to aid in develop-ment of character, instilling and forming of values that permit a better vision of the future.”

Sierra Leone is a long way from Smith’s hometown of Meadville, Pa., both in distance and in lifestyle. But she is willing to sacrifice the familiar comforts of home. “I’ve dreamed of mission work ever since I was five years old,” she says. “I have just one life to live and I want to make a difference.” She plans to serve the education sector of Sierra Leone at least through 2011.

To get an in-depth look at Smith’s activities, visit her blog site at gwenjoy.blogspot.com

—Joe Savrock

Every spring and fall, the College offers a series of online seminars through EdLion. Participants can attend the seminar through a traditional Web browser. No special software is needed!

Visit www.ed.psu.edu/educ/edlion for more information.

Alumni Profiles


Join us for the third annual College of Education Cycle-thon and picnic, set for Sunday morning, April 27.

This fun, relaxed event will be held at Sunset Park (just north of campus). The ride will begin at 10:00 a.m., and bicycle riders can choose between a 13-mile scenic loop that begins at Sunset Park and explores the different bike paths throughout the Centre region or a 7-mile loop for a less challenging ride. All intersections are patrolled for optimum safety.

Cycle-thon participants and all members of the College community are invited to participate in a picnic at 11:30 a.m. after the bicycle ride.

Details are available on the Cycle-thon Web site at www.ed.psu.edu/educ/cyclethon.

Cycle-thon benefits SCOPE (Summer College Opportunity Program in Education), which brings high

school students from underrepresented groups to the University Park campus each summer to promote and encourage careers in education.

To help raise funds for SCOPE, cyclists are encouraged to seek sponsorship from family and friends.

Anyone wishing to make a separate donation to SCOPE may do so through the University’s Development Web site at secure.ddar.psu.edu/GiveTo/. To designate SCOPE as the beneficiary of your gift, please enter “XCEMP-SCOPE” in the comment section.

Planning for Cycle-thon 2008 has been a joint effort between the Dean’s Student Advisory Forum, the Student Pennsylvania State Education Association, the Education Student Council, the College of Education Faculty Council, and alumni of the SCOPE program.

—Suzanne Wayne

A conference bike, which is pedalled by eight riders and steered by one, leads the pack at the beginning of the 2007 Cycle-thon.

Cycle-thon

Cycle-thon and Picnic Promises to be Great Fun for College Community


A university is all about the students. They are the soul of the institution and contribute to the

vibrancy and intellectual stimulation that make Penn State what it is today. This issue of Penn State Education highlights the many acts of altruism exhibited by

groups of education students. It also reminds me that it takes just one person to make a difference. For instance, the student who in lieu of birthday presents asked her family and friends for playground equipment for the students in the inner-city school where she was student teaching (see page 18).

Almost 30 percent of Penn State students this year are the first generation from their families to attend college. It’s becoming harder and harder for students to come to Penn State without incurring large amounts of debt. The average loan debt for graduating students is almost $24,000.

This year the College of Education awarded $530,000 in scholarships, and that number continues to grow each year as donors establish new scholarships. But our work is not done. Unmet need for undergraduate students in the College of Education totals more than $7.5 million.

The For the Future campaign is about the students too. As part of the College’s $18 million goal for this campaign, we have targeted $4 million for scholarships and have already raised $1.4 million in just the first year. I’m optimistic that we will surpass our goal. This is where you can make a difference. The next four pages describe endowments that have been created in the College this past year. These alumni and friends are making a difference every day in the lives of our students and faculty, and we are very grateful.

We also have an engaged and energetic group of volunteers who are making a difference by serving on the Dean’s Development Council. These volunteers have made commitments of time and financial support.

Sue Breedlove, EDU ’77 (co-chair)Mark Breedlove, BUS ’78 (co-chair)

Edgar Farmer, EDU ‘78Tony Gordon, EDU ‘78

John Ikenberry, EDU ’93, ‘99gJoyce McLean, EDU ‘57

Nancy Shemick, HHD ‘77Bob Shute, ENG ’64, EDU ‘74g

Thea Stover, EDU ‘65Over the next several years, they will help us communicate

our story and will hopefully inspire others to follow in their philanthropic footsteps. I hope you will have an opportunity to meet them over the course of the campaign.

Ellie Dietrich, Director, Development & Alumni Relations

P e n n S t a t eO n l i n e

Read Abbey’s story and learn more at:www.worldcampus.psu.edu/alumni

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce. U.Ed.OUT 08-1022jml/bjm

Abbey CaldwellInstructor, NHS Autism School

State College, Pennsylvania

Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior

Analysis (ABA) ’07

Be excePtiOnal™

Abbey CaldwellInstructor, NHS Autism School

State College, Pennsylvania

Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior

Analysis (ABA) ’07

For an autistic child, the impact of a great teacher can last a lifetime. For her class, Abbey Caldwell is having that impact.

Abbey uses her Penn State online ABA certificate and her human services experience to design individual education plans for her students. “What I learned in the certificate program really complemented my experience as therapeutic staff support, and I started teaching right away.”

Gifts to the College

Making a Difference



Children and undergraduate students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds will benefit from a program endowment established

in Penn State’s College of Education with a $1.2 million commitment from University alumnus John Gilmartin.

Annual income from the John Gilmartin Endowment for Enhancing Educational Opportunities will strengthen existing programs or help to create new initiatives that aim to improve the quality of educational experiences for in-ner-city children, according to College of Education Dean David Monk. The endowment might also support experi-mental schools, as well as undergraduate scholarships for students whose ethnic and cultural backgrounds contrib-ute to the diversity of the Penn State student body.

“John has provided our college with tremendous flex-ibility to meet pressing needs in American education,” said Monk. “We deeply appreciate his confidence in our faculty and his vision of how our college can address some of the most glaring educational inequities that our society faces.”

Gilmartin, a 1965 graduate of Penn State’s Smeal

College of Business, has made creation of the endowment part of his estate plans. He is a retired CEO of Millipore Corp., a worldwide provider of products and services to life sciences companies. He is a trustee and former board chairman of the Boston Renaissance Charter School, which enrolls more than 1,400 Boston urban students in kindergarten through eighth grade in a safe, nurturing learning environment.

His wife, Mary Ann Gilmartin, is a former nursery school teacher and was also involved with the Boston Renaissance Charter School.

John Gilmartin’s previous philanthropy to Penn State has included creation of a Trustee Scholarship in the College of Education and the endowment of a Renaissance Scholarship. Both awards support students who have financial need. He has also generously supported SCOPE, the Summer College Opportunity Program in Education, which brings high school students from underrepresented groups to Penn State each summer to learn about careers in education.

AN ALUMNI REUNION SYMPOSIUMDon’t miss this outstanding opportunity to:• Return to Happy Valley for a special

weekend to learn and laugh.• Meet with your former classmates and

other graduates to share professional experiences.

• Network with other professionals from around the country who graduated from the #1 Higher Education program in the country.

• Greet and reminisce with current and former faculty who helped to shape your career.

• Learn about timely issues in research, policy, and administration in sessions hosted by your Penn State alumni colleagues.

• Meet current Higher Education graduate students and begin a mentor relationship.

• Walk back in time as you enjoy the memories and traditions of Penn State.

www.ed.psu.edu/educ/alumni-friends/hepac/2008-symposium

John Gilmartin Endowment for Enhancing Educational Opportunities


Gilbert and Donna Kahn

Gilbert and Donna Kahn Professorship in Education in Recognition of David H. Monk and Graham B. Spanier

The late Gilbert Kahn Jr. ’61 BUS and his wife, Donna Kahn have donated funds to create a new professorship that will strengthen the College’s

programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

“The Kahn Professorship will support a vitally important area of the field of education in perpetuity,” Dean David Monk said. “STEM education is tied directly to the development and utilization of scientific talent for the nation and the world, and we are enormously grateful to the Kahns for their generosity, vision, and commitment to the College of Education.”

Gilbert Kahn, who passed away in February 2007, spent most of his career as an executive with Union Camp Corp.

“Gil’s interest in education stems from his father, Gil Sr., who was a business education teacher and school administrator, and wrote a number of widely used textbooks,” Donna Kahn said. “Gil Sr. taught at Penn State during summer school when Gil was a boy, and my husband talked fondly about accompanying his father on those trips to the University.”

“Gil also had the highest admiration for Dean Monk and Penn State President Graham Spanier,” she added, “and we wanted to honor them in naming this professorship.”

Donna Kahn earned a bachelor’s degree from Simmons College in Boston and a master’s degree in nursing from Boston University. A retired nursing educator, she resides in New Jersey.

The Kahn Professorship is the third endowment Gil and Donna Kahn have created in the College of Education. They also established two merit and need-based scholarship funds for undergraduate students. In addition, Gilbert Kahn was a volunteer fund-raising leader for the College and chaired its Investing in People initiative, beginning in 2003.

Carla Zembal-Saul, Penn State professor-in-charge of science education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, has been named to the professorship.

Zembal-Saul joined the Penn State faculty in 1997. A former middle school teacher, her research interests center on science teacher learning, particularly the development of specialized knowledge and practices for supporting children’s learning and scientific inquiry. Most recently, she has been involved in designing electronic resources aimed at assisting elementary teachers in incorporating scientific argumentation practices into their science teaching. This work is funded in part by a Faculty Early Career Development grant from the National Science Foundation, the NSF’s highest award for new faculty.

Zembal-Saul’s work also has explored the use of e-portfolios with prospective teachers as a vehicle for facilitating substantive reflection on teaching practices.

Grace McCloskey Bardine and Angelo L. Bardine Trustee Scholarship in Education

Grace McCloskey Bardine has established the Grace McCloskey Bardine and Angelo L. Bardine Trustee Scholarship in Education, endowed at

$50,000, for students with financial need studying special education.

Ms. Bardine graduated from Penn State in 1955 with a bachelor’s degree in education and met her beloved husband Angelo through their work as computer programmers for a government agency. Ms. Bardine also taught high school students and adult learners at different times in her career. Since retiring and relocating to State College, she spends her time volunteering in the community.

This is the third scholarship the Bardines have established. Previously, they established a Penn State volleyball scholarship and a graduate-level scholarship in the field of public health at Cal Berkeley, Mr. Bardine’s alma mater.

Paul and Ruth Brader Trustee Scholarship

Jane and Don Shattuck have established the Paul and Ruth Brader Trustee Scholarship, endowed at $50,000, in memory of Jane’s parents. The Shattucks have

designated this scholarship for students majoring in elementary education.

Jane Shattuck, a retired elementary principal of Wilson Area Schools, received her bachelor’s degree in education from Penn State in 1944 and her master’s degree in education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1958. Both Jane Don and Jane Shattuck



Gilbert and Donna Kahn


and her husband Don, a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a retired CEO who has acquired a great love for Penn State, served on the Dean’s Development Council for the Investing In People fund-raising initiative. This is their second endowment to the College of Education.

Bushman Family Trustee Scholarship

The Bushman Family Trustee Scholarship in the College of Education was created by a $50,000 gift from four members of the Bushman family who are

proud alumni of Penn State: Meyer ‘53 LIB, Janice ‘54 EDU, Ira ‘79 LSIR, and Marcy ‘80 HHD.

Meyer is an attorney and senior partner with the law firm of Abrahams, Loewenstein, & Bushman in Philadelphia. Janice is a retired labor relations specialist from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. Ira is a trial lawyer and currently serves as the managing partner at Abrahams, Loewenstein & Bushman. Marcy is employed as a business development specialist for DaVita, Inc.

Several of the family’s relatives are also Penn State alumni including three of Ira’s siblings. Currently, Marcy and Ira’s daughter, Mia, attends Penn State (Class of 2009), and their son, Matthew, plans to begin his Penn State education at University Park in 2008. The Bushman Family has also created the Bushman Family Trustee Scholarship in the College of the Liberal Arts.

Karl V. and JoAnne B. Erdman Trustee Scholarship

The Karl V. and JoAnne B. Erdman Trustee Scholarship, established in May 2007, provides financial assistance to students who are enrolled

in the College of Education and also in the Schreyer Honors College.

Karl, who obtained his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in chemical engineering from Penn State in 1945 and 1947, served with Naval Intelligence in Washington, D.C. before spending 40 years in sales, purchasing, marketing, and management operations with Shell Chemical Company. JoAnne graduated with a degree in education in 1948 and taught for seven years in Florida, Delaware, and Pennsylvania before she dedicated herself to family life and raising their three sons, Karl II, Kirk, and Kent.

Many family members have also attended Penn State, including their son, Kent ’81 ACCTG, a daughter-in-law, Carey ’82 HHD, a granddaughter, Sarah ’07 Schreyer Honors College, AD PR and PSYBA, and a grandson,

William, currently enrolled as a sophomore in the College of Agricultural Sciences studying environmental resource management.

Karl enjoyed being able to meet with and correspond with many of the students who have already benefitted from this scholarship. Karl also created a Trustee Scholarship in the Eberly College of Science that supports students majoring in chemistry. He recently passed away in December and was predeceased by his wife, JoAnne, in 1999.

Karl and JoAnne received the Mount Nittany Society medallion and were inducted as members in 2007.

Glenn and Nancy Gamble Trustee Scholarship in the College of Education

The Glenn and Nancy Gamble Trustee Scholarship in the College of Education will provide financial assistance to students who show involvement

in Penn State sponsored musical performance groups. Glenn ’51 B.S. AG EDU, ’55 M.Ed. AG EDU, ’59 D.Ed., and Nancy ’52 B.S. H EC, ’55 M.Ed., CD FR Gamble designed the endowment with a $50,000 commitment.

The Gamble Trustee Scholarship is the fourth endowment provided by the Gambles in the College of Education. Previously, they established the Glenn and Nancy Gamble Leadership Fund, the Glenn and Nancy Gamble Endowed Scholarship in Education for graduate students in Counselor Education, and the Franklin and Emma Gamble/Mac and Mabel Saylor Scholarship in Education for undergraduates in the College. They have also created endowments in the Center for Performing Arts and the College of Health and Human Development.

The Gambles served on the College of Education’s Dean’s Development Council during the recent Investing in People initiative from 2003-2007 and previously on the Grand Destiny Campaign. They also served on the College’s Alumni Society Board of Directors, where Glenn and Nancy Gamble


Glenn served as the first president of the board. Glenn earned his bachelor and master’s degrees

in agricultural education in 1951 and his doctorate in counselor education from Penn State. For roughly 30 years, he served as the director of university career services and an assistant professor of education at Rutgers University until his retirement in 1990.

Nancy also graduated from Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in home economics and a master’s degree in child development and family relations. She also received an education specialist degree from Rutgers University before serving for 28 years in special education and elementary education. She retired in 1989 as the elementary principal from Mendham Township School District in New Jersey.

Pauline Gilleland Trustee Scholarship in Education

Pauline Gilleland has created the Pauline Gilleland Trustee Scholarship in Education, with a $50,000 endowment. The scholarship is intended for

students studying elementary education.Having attended Penn State as a scholarship recipient

and as a young bride, Ms. Gilleland has fond memories of living together with her husband in a small trailer close to where Atherton Hall is today. She received her bachelor’s degree in education in 1950 and her master’s degree from Temple University. Gilleland was an elementary school teacher for 30 years in the New Holland and Lancaster areas and taught all elementary grade levels, from K-6.

Nancy J. Hadfield and Abigail L. Johnson Trustee Scholarship

The Nancy J. Hadfield and Abigail L. Johnson Trustee Scholarship in Education is being funded by a $50,000 gift from Nancy Hadfield ’60 SECED and

Abigail Johnson ’62 EK ED. Trustee scholarships provide financial assistance to Penn State students to help them with their education.

Abigail is a retired speech therapist from Chester County. She serves as the current president of the Naples Alumni Chapter and was a member of Kappa Phi while she was a student at Penn State. Nancy is a retired reading supervisor for the Coatesville Area Schools and serves as a board member with the Naples Alumni Chapter. She was a pianist and organist for the Meditation Choirs, and she traveled to Europe with the Chapel Choir in 1959. Nancy and Abigail were especially motivated to provide support to students with the greatest need.

The Robert F. Nicely, Jr. and Donna C. Nicely Doctoral Student Research Endowment in Educational Leadership

Robert F. Nicely, Jr. ’61 B.S. SECED and his wife, Donna ’77 A.A. Liberal Arts have created a new endowed research scholarship with a $50,000

commitment as part of their estate plans. The scholarship will support outstanding doctoral

students majoring in educational leadership as they develop their research agendas.

The Nicely Doctoral Student Research Endowment Fund is the second endowment that the Nicelys have created in the College. Previously, they established an endowment to support the Robert F. Nicely, Jr. and Donna C. Nicely Distinguished Scholar in Educational Leadership.

Bob, associate dean emeritus and professor emeritus in Penn State’s College of Education, has mentored many doctoral students and early-career faculty. He served on the Dean’s Development Council for the Investing in People initiative from 2003 to 2007. He is a past member of the College of Education Alumni Society Board. Donna also retired from the College of Education, where she was the contracts and proposals specialist.

Robert and Donna Nicely



ALUMNI UPDATES

www.ed.psu.edu/educ/alumni-friends/alumni-notes

Looking for news about old friends?Our Alumni Updates are now online!

Alumni make updates throughout the year.Visit the site, check up on friends, and let us know what you are doing while you are there.

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