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Two staff members have recently joined the College of Engineering Dean's
Office to 
help with development and communication activities.
Sherry Brennan, assistant director of development, will seek major gifts for undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships, as well as faculty and other endowments in the College of Engineering. She also will seek to cultivate stronger ties with the college's alumni and with industry.
Over the past five years, Brennan has worked at Penn State in the Office of Prospect Development and the Office of the Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations. She earned a bachelor's degree in English from Youngstown State University, Ohio, and a master's degree from Loyola University, Chicago.
Curtis Chan, a 1994 Penn State graduate with a degree in journalism, has been named writer/editor and will prepare press releases for the college and write for the college's publications, such as Engineering Penn State magazine and recruiting publications.
Chan previously worked as a copy editor for the Centre Daily Times in State College. As an undergraduate, Chan interned with the Office of University Relations at Penn State Berks and the Department of Public Information at University Park.
Nick McCarthy has been appointed coordinator of college relations for the College of Education. As coordinator, McCarthy will direct all college public relations activities, including publications, alumni relations and special events.
Before joining the College of Education, McCarthy held the position of writer-editor for the University Department of Development Communications and Special Projects. In this role, she concentrated on preparing major gift proposals for the Division of Development and Alumni Relations.
McCarthy came to Penn State as a graduate assistant, and spent four years teaching undergraduate courses in rhetoric and composition for the Department of English and Continuing and Distance Education. Her teaching experience also includes English as a second language. Other career positions at Penn State include serving as publications writer and copy editor for The Penn Stater magazine.
A native of Cardiff, Wales, McCarthy holds a bachelor's degree in English and American literature from the University of Warwick, Coventry, England. She also has studied linguistics at the University of Flensburg, Flensburg, Germany. She is currently studying for a master's degree in English at Penn State.
Jude W. Stauffer of St. Marys has been named program leader for the Penn State DuBois associate degree in materials engineering technology program. In addition to shouldering responsibilities for program development, Stauffer teaches courses in materials analysis, production processes, metallography, microstructures and material testing. He also directs the Powder Metal Initiative for Clearfield, Jefferson, Elk and Cameron counties sponsored by the Ben Franklin Technology Center at University Park.
While designed to expose students to the breadth of the materials field, the Penn State DuBois materials engineering technology program has responded to local industrial needs. The tri-county region surrounding Penn State DuBois is at the heart of the international press and sinter segment of the powder metal industry. The program is one of only a handful of associate degree materials engineering technology programs in the country.
Stauffer is a graduate of Penn State's ceramic science and engineering program. Before accepting his present position at Penn State DuBois, he worked as a research and development engineer with Keystone Thermometrics (formerly Keystone Carbon Co.) where he focused on product improvement, process improvement, material development, powder characterization and research and development. He has been a member of the DuBois materials engineering technology adjunct faculty since 1995.
He holds membership in the American Ceramic Society and APMI International. He is a former member of the Industrial Advisory Board of the Industry/University Cooperative Research Center, Particulate Materials Center, at University Park.
Penn State Erie, Behrend College, has named Lloyd G. "Buzz"
Waterhouse as its 1997 Alumni Fellow. 
Waterhouse, general
manager of marketing and business development for IBM Global Services, visited
the campus on Oct. 23.
Waterhouse, an Erie native, attended Penn State-Behrend from 1969-72. He earned his B.S. in finance from Penn State in 1973 and his MBA at Youngstown State University in 1980. Upon graduation, he accepted a position as a sales trainee with IBM. Through a quick succession of positions, including assistant to the chairman of World Trade Corp. and vice president for Academic Information Systems, Waterhouse has made significant contributions to the organization.
One of the highlights of his career was a three-year post in Tokyo, where he served as general manager of marketing and services for Asia Pacific and president of the Asia Pacific Services Corp. for IBM. Upon his return to the United States, he became director of strategy.
As general manager of marketing and business development for IBM Global Services, Waterhouse is currently responsible for improving the visibility and image of IBM as a global solutions provider and for establishing a strong capability to deliver network-computing services to the marketplace.
Waterhouse served on the first board of visitors of the College of Business Administration at University Park. Today, he continues in that role for the Mary Jean and Frank P. Smeal College of Business Administration. He and his wife, Lorraine, who earned her degrees at Brown and Vanderbilt, were married on the Penn State-Behrend campus. They reside in Ridgefield, Conn., with their children Lynn, 12, and Brian, 11.
The Alumni Fellow Award, presented by the Penn State Alumni Association, is administered in cooperation with the colleges of the University. The Board of Trustees has designated the title of Alumni Fellow as permanent and lifelong.
Carol Reardon, associate professor of history, is the author of Pickett's Charge In History & Memory, published by the University of North Carolina Press. Reardon examines the almost mythic importance attached to the charge by Confederate Gen. George E. Pickett on the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg (July 3, 1863). Her study reveals, by examining the events of July 3 through the selective and evocative lens of "memory," Americans can learn more about why Pickett's Charge endures so strongly in the American imagination.
Over the years, soldiers, journalists, veterans, politicians, orators, artists, poets and educators -- Northerners and Southerners alike -- shaped, revised and even sacrificed the "history" of the charge to create "memories" that met ever-shifting needs and spoke to deeply felt values. In her book, Reardon shows that the story told today of Pickett's Charge is really an amalgam of history and memory. The evolution of that mix, she concludes, tells us much about how we come to understand our nation's past.
Guadalupe Martí-Peña, lecturer in the Department of Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, is the author of Manuel Puig ante la crítica: bibliografía analítica y comentada, published by Madrid and Frankfurt, 1997. Since the publication in 1968 of his first novel, La traición de Rita Hayworth (Betrayed by Rita Hayworth, 1971) to his last, Cae la noche tropical, 1988 (Tropical Night Falling, 1991), the Argentine writer, Manuel Puig (1932-1990), has not ceased to seduce and unsettle critics and readers. Eight novels (three of them adapted to the screen), several plays, film scripts, essays and numerous interviews, construct and deconstruct an artistic itinerary characterized by the heterogenous, multilayered and multiform nature of Puig's writings.
Manuel Puig ante la crítica is an extensive recension of critical material published in Spanish, English, French, Italian and Portuguese from 1968 to 1996. This book underscores how fruitful it is to approach Puig's polisemic writings from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives. Puig's texts constitute the stage where modern and postmodern aesthetic, ethical, social, political and gender conflicts are incessantly reenacted.
A smoke detector provided through a Cooperative Extension
program saved the lives of the Cole family in St. Marys. Safety experts
recommend that smoke detectors be installed on each floor of your home.
Experts also say smoke detector batteries should be checked when clocks
are changed to Daylight Saving Time in the spring and again when they switch
back to Standard Time in the fall. If you didn't check your smoke detector
batteries when you changed your clocks last weekend, now would be a good
time to do so.
Photo: Greg Grieco
Most people don't consider a county extension agent a lifesaver.
But, don't tell that to the Jeff Cole family of St. Marys.
Four members of the family, including a newborn baby, escaped serious harm in a house fire thanks to a smoke detector program initiated and coordinated by Barbara Miller, family living agent in Elk and Cameron counties.
Under the program, which is supported by area service clubs, parents of newborn infants are given the smoke detectors before they leave the hospital. Since its inception in 1994, more than 200 detectors have been distributed.
"Before the new mother leaves the hospital, the family is given a smoke detector because at that point parents have more incentive to do the proper thing. They are motivated to do what is right for their child," Miller said.
According to Steve Gerg, chief of the Crystal Fire Department in St. Marys, Cole was awakened by the smoke detector, which he had not yet installed, but was on a shelf in the basement.
"He went to the kitchen, opened the door to the basement and was greeted by flames," Gerg said. "He quickly got his family out safely and called the fire department. We responded and extinguished the fire, which caused extensive damage."
Miller said she got the idea for the program from a national program, the Smoke Alarm for Every Home Foundation, which was established in Clearfield County in 1990 and is now based in Amherst, N.Y. The foundation promotes the use of smoke alarms in every home in an effort to reduce the number of deaths caused by fires.
"As a family living agent, I have a real concern for health and safety," Miller said. "In informing new parents on what to expect with their child, we combine child development information found in our extension publication, Visits with You and Your Baby, with information on safety in the home."
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, fire and burns are the second leading cause of accidental death for children under age 5 in the home.
"The foundation gave me statistics showing that having a working smoke detector in a home cuts the risk of dying in a fire in half. Yet, an estimated 60 percent of homes in this country don't have a working smoke detector," Miller said.
Miller took that information to the Rotary, Lions and Kiwanis clubs in Elk County and convinced them to support the program. Funding also is provided by the auxiliaries of the St. Marys Regional Medical Center and the Elk County Regional Medical Center in Ridgway.
"I felt strongly about the value of the smoke detector program," Miller said. "While it was not a normal function of the extension office, someone was needed to get the program moving and to coordinate it. I was able to get the necessary support and I serve as coordinator, issuing quarterly reports to the service clubs and the hospitals."
When the program first began, the smoke detectors were available at the Elk County Extension Office for first-time parents to pick up.
"It was not very convenient, so response was limited," Miller said. "Now we provide them at the hospital and it has been much more effective. I work with hospital personnel and keep them supplied with the detectors and information on proper installation."
Miller was out of town, at the time of the fire, but a member of her advisory board told her that a detector provided through the program saved the family from harm.
"In seeking support for the program, I always pointed out that if it saved one life it was worth the effort," she said. "You can imagine how happy and thrilled I was to hear that four lives had been saved."
Joann Parsons, assistant coordinator, research funds in Eberly College of Science.
Katharine L. Porter, study abroad adviser in Office of the Dean of International Programs, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.
Diane E. Reese, staff assistant V in Intercollegiate Athletics.
Deborah R. Richards, staff assistant VII in Registrar's Office, Vice President and Dean for Enrollment Management and Administration.
Kimberly S. Rider, staff assistant VIII in the Applied Research Laboratory.
Dianne L. Rossman, staff assistant VII in Registrar's Office, Vice President and Dean for Enrollment Management and Administration.
Vincent Scalamogna, manager, ice pavilion in Intercollegiate Athletics.
Paul J. Sharum, network coordinator in Computer and Information Systems-Telecommunications.
Patricia A. Shawley, staff assistant IX in Intercollegiate Athletics.
Susan K. Shirk, information systems support consultant in Computer and Information Systems-Administrative Systems.
Ann L. Smith, study abroad adviser, in Office of the Dean of International Programs, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.
Carolyn J. Smith, staff assistant VI in Intercollege Research Programs.
Stephanie R. Smith, staff assistant VI in College of Engineering.
Patricia Snare, staff assistant VI in Eberly College of Science.
James R. Snyder, lead applications programmer/analyst in Office of Budget and Resource Analysis.
Karen L. Sones, academic counselor in College of the Liberal Arts.
Jayashree Sonti, accountant in Corporate Controller's Office.
Kathryn N. Stocker, staff assistant VIII in Division of Development and Alumni Relations.
Annette L. Struble, staff assistant VI in University Relations.
Patricia A. Taverno, staff assistant VI in University Relations.
Michael L. Vanatta, materials processing engineer in the Applied Research Laboratory.
John D. Van Eck, applications systems analyst in Intercollege Research Programs.
Kathleen M. Vaughn, staff assistant VI in Continuing and Distance Education.
Jill R. Welsch, research support assistant in Intercollege Research Programs.
Nicki E. Williams, staff assistant IV in College of Arts and Architecture.
Sandra D. Wingard, computer support specialist in College of the Liberal Arts.
John W. Beschler, assistant tunnel operator B in the Applied Research Laboratory.
Rickey C. Coon, machinist A at Penn State Erie, Behrend College.
Brady L. Crain, recycling collector in the Office of Physical Plant.
Albert W. Dreibelbis, horticulture aide/machine operator in College of Agricultural Sciences.
Gerald E. Houck, groundskeeper/landscape A in the Office of Physical Plant.
Thomas A. Houck, barn worker/milker in College of Agricultural Sciences.
Michael S. Neff, groundskeeper/landscape A in the Office of Physical Plant.
John A. Rossman, recycling collector in the Office of Physical Plant.
Sandra J. Sternberger, utility worker in the Office of Physical Plant.
Heidi Appel, research associate in entomology, spots a gypsy
moth caterpillar on an oak leaf.
Photo: Greg Grieco
By A'ndrea Elyse Messer
Public Information
The relationship between gypsy moth caterpillars, the virus that kills them and the oak leaves they feast on is more complicated than expected, and leaf enzymes as well as tannins play an important role.
"We know that the tannins in oak leaves inhibit gypsy moth growth, but that they also provide protection against the nuclear polyhedrosis virus," said Heidi Appel, research associate in entomology in the College of Agricultural Sciences.
Oak trees make more tannins when gypsy moths chew on them and the tannins slow caterpillar growth, reduce the number of eggs and lead to less successful young. The trees' response should be inhibiting the caterpillar, but it takes much more virus to kill the caterpillars when they are eating tannins. The oak trees' defense -- tannin -- actually lets the gypsy moth caterpillar survive.
Nuclear Polyhedrosis virus, LdNPV, is commonly called wilt disease because the caterpillar turns into a sack of virus and slumps over. This naturally occurring virus is acquired when caterpillars eat the dormant virus left on leaves by previous victims. When the caterpillar eats the virus, together with the oak leaf and its tannin, the virus becomes activated.
"We thought the tannin acted by itself, that it did something to the viral proteins," Appel said. "It turns out that enzymes in the leaves may be the important factor."
Appel looked at two enzymes; polyphynol oxidase (PPO), which helps tannin work better; and peroxidase (POD), which inhibits the action of tannin. Both naturally occur in oak leaves.
"Peroxidase just chews up everything it comes in contact with," Appel said. "It probably inactivates the tannin. PPO, on the other hand, probably oxidizes the tannin into the products that actually inhibit the virus."
The researcher is looking at caterpillars in the field and in the laboratory, and she is interested in the chemical reactions that take place in the caterpillar gut. The wilt virus needs the very basic environment of the gut to shed its crystalline coat and become active. This same alkaline environment does oxidize some of the tannin, but Appel has found a strong relationship between PPO and virus inhibition. The trick is to put this knowledge to work in controlling the caterpillars.
The constant sound of chewing at the height of a gypsy moth infestation is more than just annoying. Besides damaging the leaf canopy of northeastern forests, these voracious eaters cost the hardwoods industry millions of dollars. Luckily, from an economic point of view, gypsy moths usually do not eat coniferous trees, which are the basis of the multimillion dollar pulp paper industry.
"However, there is another threat, the Asian gypsy moth, which eats conifers and has been introduced at several seaports by ships from the Far East," Appel said. "But so far, these introductions have been eradicated."
While gypsy moth mothers do not fly, the Asian gypsy moth females do, which means the caterpillars will spread faster and could pose a greater threat to the forests if these caterpillars are not controlled.
"The ideal approach for controlling both pests would be to add something to the virus spray that would disarm the tannin and make the caterpillars susceptible to the virus," Appel said. "This could either stop the oxidation of tannin or inhibit the action of PPO."
Further research into the chemistry of the gypsy moth caterpillar gut and the interaction of caterpillar, oak tree and virus, might eventually lead to a control method.
Jack Schultz, professor of entomology, was out looking for
forest tent caterpillars
when he came upon a walking stick.
Photo: Greg Grieco
By A'ndrea Elyse Messer
Public Information
The forest tent caterpillar's eating habits may be the key to their ability to strip leaves without triggering the tree's defense mechanisms.
"Tent caterpillars are unique in their social lifestyle," said Jack Schultz, professor of entomology. "And this social eating pattern may be their protection against a tree's natural defenses."
All trees react when chewed on or leaves are broken. Oak leaves, for example, usually produce increased levels of tannins when ripped or chewed. Other caterpillars, like the gypsy moth, produce a response that is stronger than simply tearing the leaves.
"We allowed forest tent caterpillars to defoliate an oak tree and not only did the tree not respond by producing more tannins, there was a slight, but significant depression in the normal tannin production," Schultz told attendees at the Ecological Society of America Conference in August in Albuquerque. "The tent caterpillars seem to be chemically invisible to the tree."
Unlike the eastern tent caterpillar that builds large messy, very visible nests in cherry trees, the forest tent caterpillar builds only a small, resting place in an oak tree. Female moths lay eggs in one batch and the eggs hatch together. The forest tent caterpillars head for the crotch of a tree and spin a web as a place to rest while not eating.
Unlike most caterpillars, tent caterpillars eat together. They all march off to feed, focusing on defoliating one branch at a time. Together, they return to their nest, to rest. They continue this pattern all day long.
"Gypsy moths, which live in the same forests and attack the same trees as the forest tent caterpillar, eat leaves randomly," said Schultz. "Both caterpillars can be equally destructive."
Schultz; Mark D'Ascenso, undergraduate student; and Heidi M. Appel, research associate in entomology, are interested in how trees react to tent caterpillars, and how tent and gypsy moth caterpillars influence each other.
The tannins released by oak trees help the gypsy moths fight off a virus that normally kills them, but the trees do not release the tannins when tent caterpillars feed.
"We do not understand how the tent caterpillar remains chemically invisible to the tree," said Schultz.
The forest tent caterpillar may simply eat whole branches of leaves too rapidly for the tree to respond before all the leaves are gone. Or, the forest tent caterpillar may lack the chemical cue that turns the tree's defenses on in the case of the gypsy moth. If the researchers could determine what makes the forest tent caterpillar a stealth caterpillar, then breeders might bioengineer into the tree the ability to not respond to the gypsy moth caterpillar. This would improve control of that pest, which would then succumb to the virus.
