COLLEGE TOWN BENEFITS DRAW RETIREES TO COMMUNITY
For the Wellers and Clemmers, future residents of The Village at Penn State, a major attraction of the planned retirement community is the abundance of educational, cultural and sports opportunities at the University and in the region. "We decided to stay here because there are so many things to do off-and on-campus, sports and non-sports activities," said Harry Weller of State College, 73, who retired in 1996 as physician in the intercollegiate athletics department at Penn State. "We don't need such a large home anymore and it's difficult to keep up. We liked what we saw at the Village." A dedication was held yesterday to kick off construction at the University-affiliated retirement community, located on University property north of campus. The Village at Penn State is among the few facilities nationwide officially affiliated with a university. For the full story, visit http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/psuvillage.html. For video of the dedication, visit http://www.psu.edu/ur/stories/retirementvillage/index.html. For more information on The Village at Penn State, visit http://www.villageatpennstate.com.
PATERNO, PLAYERS TO SPARK FRIDAY FOOTBALL RALLY
Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics, along with the Blue & White Society, are teaming up to host the first “Rally in the Valley” football pep rally to kickoff the Miami game weekend. The event will take place this Friday, Aug. 31, in Rec Hall, immediately following the season opening Penn State women’s volleyball match between the No. 3-ranked Nittany Lions and Villanova. The volleyball match will begin at 7:30 p.m., with an anticipated start time for the football pep rally at 9 p.m. Head coach Joe Paterno and selected players are expected to address the crowd. Also scheduled to attend are the Penn State Cheerleaders, the Dance Team, Blue Band and Nittany Lion mascot. Paterno’s squad is set to open the season on Saturday, Sept. 1 against No. 2 Miami (Fla.) in an expanded Beaver Stadium. Kickoff is 8 p.m. for the ABC split national telecast. The clash will be the first in the expanded stadium, which will have a capacity of 106,537, second-largest in the nation. For the latest game news and pep rally information, visit http://www.GoPSUsports.com/home/.
RENO TO LEAD OFF DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS SERIES
Former Attorney General Janet Reno will lead off Penn State’s Distinguished Speakers Series on Wednesday, Sept. 5, at 8 p.m. in Eisenhower Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets will be available to the general public beginning Wednesday, Aug. 29, on a first-come, first-served basis. The Eisenhower box office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Limited tickets may also be available the night of the speech. For more information on the Distinguished Speakers Series, visit http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/2001distspeakers.html.
WOMEN'S STUDIES PROGRAMS STRUGGLE FOR LEGITIMACY
Now in their third generation, women’s studies programs are struggling more than ever to achieve equal status with other university disciplines, a Penn State study says. Many people, on and off campuses, perceive women’s studies as more feminist ideology than scholarly substance, says Carol L. Colbeck, associate professor of education. This viewpoint, along with structural obstacles within academe, conspires to make women’s studies a second-class discipline. The good news, Colbeck says, is that attitudes, policies and resource allocation can all be changed to accommodate the growth of women’s studies throughout higher education. Colbeck and Deborah A. Burghardt, a former Penn State graduate student, now associate professor and director of the women’s studies program at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, surveyed women’s studies faculty at four state universities with well established women’s studies programs. Their findings were presented at the annual American Education Research Association conference. For the full story by Paul Blaum, visit http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/women'sstudies.html.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES COME FROM FLEXIBILITY
Penn State researchers have developed a new method for firms to more accurately estimate the additional cash flow a capital purchase can generate. “If a firm is analyzing the purchase of a new machine, it is easy to determine the value of added capacity or increased production efficiency, but most firms overlook the value of increases manufacturing flexibility,” notes Elena Katok, assistant professor of management information systems in the Smeal College of Business Administration. Katok co-developed a new method for research planning under uncertainty with William Tarantino of the Center for Army Analysis, and Terry P. Harrison, professor of management science in the Smeal College. The researchers were able to show the approach they developed is more accurate than several commonly used methods, and successfully applied it to an investment problem faced by a major firm in the aviation industry. Their recommendations resulted in an estimated annual savings in excess of $1 million. For the full story by Steve Infanti, visit http://www.smeal.psu.edu/news/depth/august01/building.html.
STUDENT AFFAIRS, COMMUNICATIONS TEAM FOR WKPS-FM
The Penn State Division of Student Affairs and College of Communications have partnered with the University’s student radio station, 90.7 WKPS-FM, to enhance programming and training opportunities for participating students from all majors. The partnership also has enabled the college to hire a full-time station manager, Jeff Brown. “This new collaborative effort is a further example of our common vision for improving the quality of out-of-class learning experience for students,” says William W. Asbury, vice president for Student Affairs. “The students at WKPS have been very supportive of our commitment to quality programs and services.” Chris Buchignani, vice president of the station, says that THE LION, as the station is widely known, will continue to offer a diversity of music not found elsewhere in central Pennsylvania. In addition, the students hope to increase coverage of Penn State sports and to enhance their news programming. For the full story, visit http://www.psu.edu/dept/comm/news/07-25-01news.shtml.